


Folaigh

by sunshineoptimismandangels



Series: Folaigh Verse [1]
Category: Glee, klaine - Fandom
Genre: AU, Fantasy, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-18
Updated: 2015-03-31
Packaged: 2018-03-13 15:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 90,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3386699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineoptimismandangels/pseuds/sunshineoptimismandangels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine’s ordinary life is turned upside down when on vacation in Ireland he stumbles upon a small village tucked away and seemingly untouched by the outside world. The people of Folaigh almost seem magical especially the mysterious and compelling Kurt Hummel who is quickly stealing Blaine’s heart.<br/>Kurt longs for adventure and love, and finds more than he ever dreamed of in Blaine, but knows the secrets of Folaigh may end up breaking his heart and keeping him from Blaine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**So I've had this story in my head for a while and am also posting it on FF.net, but I finally got an AO3 and wanted to share it here as well. It is very,very loosely based on a movie, but I'm taking a lot of liberties. I need to thank H T Elia did some[really beautiful artwork for this story](http://sunshineoptimismandangels.tumblr.com/post/108775996528/title-folaigh-pairing-klaine-rating-t-for#notes). You should take a moment to [tell her how amazing she is](http://htelia.tumblr.com/). **

**Short first chapter, but my chapters always get longer as I go... Enjoy!**

* * *

Blaine shifted in his seat, glancing at the growing pile of poker chips in the center of the table, and the smell of stale ale and cigarette smoke stinging his nose. The old pub was blemished with decades of spilt beers worked into its wooden floors and smoke stains running down its walls.

He scooted closer to the table, trying since he entered the room to not feel dirty, and his eyes drifted over the other men at the table. He'd worry about the dark stain on the floor near his foot later. He sat with three men he didn't really know, big burly men who were knocking back beer after beer, and getting louder and swearing more as the game went on. Then his eyes then landed on Sam.

Sam had a smile tugging at his lips and his thumb kept brushing over his cards. An obvious tell, although Blaine wondered if the other men would notice with how much beer they'd consumed. Sam looked up and Blaine lifted a dark eyebrow and then glanced down at Sam's hand of cards, trying to silently tell him not to give himself away. Sam seemed to get the idea; he brushed his long blond hair out of his face and placed his cards back on the table top.

Blaine hadn't looked at his cards again since he first drew them; instead, he was sitting watching the other men, trying to read them. Unfortunately he didn't know any of them besides Sam, so it was hard to identify any tells they might have. Blaine didn't feel like he had any tells of his own, sitting still without looking at your cards was something his dad taught him when he was younger.

"Don't keep looking at your hand. Look at your cards once. Remember them and keep a steady gaze." His dad had said.

His dad wasn't a professional or anything, but at the time Blaine had thought he must have been the best poker player in the world. Blaine was seven years old and they were betting Sweet & Low packets while sitting at the kitchen table. It was one of the few good memories he had of his dad. Blaine had won that game and his father had praised him saying they should take a trip to Vegas because Blaine was sure to win them money. It was only years later that Blaine realized with a warm feeling in his chest that his dad had let him win. The memory was from a time before his father had gotten too busy with work to have time for his sons.

Blaine hardly had any contact with his father at all anymore outside of the obligatory Christmas holiday visit and last year Blaine had skipped that all together. That's why he was vacationing, not with his family, but with Sam. They had decided to go on a trip together and had saved for months. Sam had wanted somewhere tropical with beaches and bikini clad girls.

The fact that they ended up in Ireland instead had surprised them both, especially now that they were in a darkly lit bar gambling away their hard earned money. Blaine felt stuffily warm as one of the men puffed on his cigarette and the smoke got into his face. He stopped himself from pulling at his collar as he didn't want to look nervous around these men.

Sam apparently hadn't had the same early age poker training that Blaine had because he was constantly glancing at his cards and then at the men around the table.

"Well now kid, are you in or out?" the man beside Blaine asked, his thick accent slurred with drink. Blaine had a decent hand, but he also only had so much money left for this trip.

"I fold." He said and leaned back in his chair to watch the rest of the game, Blaine had never been much of a risk taker. The next man raised the bid and then it was Sam's turn. Sam looked serious for a moment and Blaine hoped he would fold. They had enough between them to cover the bet if Sam lost, but that wasn't exactly where he wanted their money to go.

"I see your bid and I raise you." Sam said, plopping chips onto the table as if they didn't represent actual money.

Blaine tapped his fingers against his knees nervously. Sam was betting a lot of money that they couldn't afford to lose. He shot a glance at Sam, but didn't say anything. He didn't think either Sam or the men around the table would take kindly of him if he asked Sam to not bet so much. The rest of the men tossed in their chips and one by one started to show their hands.

As Sam laid down a pair of eights and then three fives one right after the other, Blaine smiled. A full house. They might actually win this. Sam smirked and reached forward to scoop up the chips but the last man at the table cleared his throat and started to lay down his cards. One. Two. Three. Four Jacks. Blaine groaned and covered his face with his hands. Four of a kind beat a full house.

"What? No." Sam looked around the table. "I had a great hand. Damn it."

The men chuckled, all but the winner. For the first time Blaine really took notice of the men standing around the table watching the game, several of them were congregating behind the winner looking menacing as they folded their arms over their chest and stepped closer.

"You better be able to pay." The winner said, raising from his chair as his placed his palms on the table and leaned forward toward Sam. His eyes were dark and looked as though they were trying to bore holes through Sam's skull.

"No problem man. Of course I can pay." Sam grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and glanced at Blaine leaning toward him a little. "I'm going to need some help with this," he said under his breath.

Blaine sighed, but he was already going for his wallet, they would settle their debt and then leave before they lost any more money. Sam opened his wallet and Blaine watched as Sam's face went from nervous to flat out terrified as the colored drained from it.

"Um… Blaine." He said in a small voice. "You uh… you're not holding my cash for me are you?"

"What?" Blaine said confused and then looked at his own wallet. It was empty, no cash, no credit card, no key to their hotel room. Oh shit.

"Um..." Blaine glanced at Sam frantically and then slowly stood from the table, Sam following his lead. "Listen, we have the money, we uh… we had the money I swear."

The men around the table grew still, a quiet fell over the whole pub and Blaine felt like he could hear his own heart beating. This wasn't planned, he and Sam weren't stupid enough to try to steal from these men, they had to know that.

"Excuse me?" The winner said evenly, even as his nostrils flared. "Are you trying to con me? I won that money fair and square and now it's time for you to pay up." The men behind him were clenching their fists and leaning forward.

The other men they had been playing with were scooting their chairs back like they didn't want to get in the middle of this, while the winner's friends seemed to be moving in, steely eyed and unsmiling. Oh shit, oh shit they were in so much trouble.

"I don't know what happened!" Blaine said raising his hands. "I think we were pick-pocketed or something."

Sam was nodding along. "I swear I didn't bet anything I didn't have."

"Are you calling us thieves now?" The man said with a mirthless chuckle. Blaine looked around the crowded bar and noticed how many people were watching as they started to mumble to one another.

"No no. I'm not saying that I just…" Blaine looked at Sam wildly. What were they going to do?

Sam moved closer to Blaine and then nodded towards the door.

"Run." He whispered.

Blaine wanted to protest, but he didn't have a chance. In an instant, Sam had flipped over the poker table, cards and chips and beer bottles flying everywhere as he turned and sprinted towards the door. Blaine's heart thudded and he froze for a moment before he turned and ran, following the streak of blond as Sam sprinted out into the dark. Streetlights illuminated the street outside and cast long shadows. Blaine saw one shadow that looked like Sam so he blindly followed after it.

Oh god, what was he doing? He could hear men shouting and heavy boots pounding the ground behind him. It was just a game of poker, how did it end up going wrong so fast?

This was by far the dumbest thing he'd ever done. Dumber even than serenading that guy in the middle of a Gap store back home. But Blaine knew it was too late to turn back now. He could still hear people coming after them, but he and Sam had the advantage of youth and were able to keep their lead.

He followed Sam out of the town and into the woods. Blaine didn't know what good this was going to do them in the long run, but for now he just kept his feet going as branches whipped past his face.

"This is stupid. This is so stupid." He chanted under his breath as he tried to keep up with Sam's dark form in the woods.

The further they went into the forest the foggier it started to get. They were away from the light of the town now and while the moon was bright Blaine still couldn't really see where he was going.

"Sam!" He called out breathless from running. He couldn't see his friend anymore. "Sam!" He called again and then stopped running. He rested bent over with his hands on his knees and panted. He seemed to have lost his pursuers, but he'd lost Sam too.

Blaine straightened up then, ignoring the stitch in his side and looked around.

"Sam!" He shouted again and he hated how scared his voice was. This was meant to be a vacation, so why was he alone in a dark forest instead of on a warm sandy beach somewhere? Ireland? Whose idea had that been anyway?

He was getting nervous; the fog was making him feel like he was walking into some horror film. Blaine started forward to look for Sam when his foot caught on a tree root and before he could steady himself he tumbled forward. He hit the ground and didn't stop, foliage and roots and dirt flying up into his face as he bumped and rolled down a steep jagged hill.

At the bottom he came to an abrupt stop. He heard his head crack against something hard and immediately a bright pain burst behind his eyes. Blaine groaned and tried to get up but his stomach lurched and he stayed on the ground, his vision fuzzy and his head pounding before everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Blaine's body tingled and his skin seemed to buzz in a way he didn't recognize. It felt nice, comforting, even though it was unfamiliar. Slowly opening his eyes and squinting he realized he did not recognize his surroundings. His head hurt, but he couldn't remember why.

His vision was a little blurry as he looked up at the dark outline of tree branches above him and clouds passing across the moon. When his eyes cleared he noticed a figure hovering above him, but couldn't focus on their face because the light of the moon made them nothing more than a dark silhouette.

"Sam?" Blaine groaned, surprised by the scratchiness of his own voice. He tried to sit up but gentle hands pressed him back down.

"Don't move. I need to make sure none of your bones are broken." The voice was soft and calm and it flittered around Blaine's mind like butterfly wings.

Blaine blinked rapidly and let out a soft moan as the words sunk in. Had he broken any bones? It didn't feel like it. His head hurt and he was cold, and the tingly feeling he had woken up with was fading, but he didn't feel any other pain. Gentle hands were moving over his body and he slowly came to realize his head was nestled in a lap. Who was this? Not Sam. One of the men chasing them?

"I'm sorry about the money." Blaine said involuntarily, his voice still sounding strange. "We didn't mean to steal from you."

The person above him looked back at his face and from this angle Blaine could make out a pair of wide blue eyes.

The lilting voice spoke again after a moment, "I don't think you're badly hurt. You've hit your head, though."

Blaine smiled a little, he liked this stranger's voice, kind, melodic and soothing. He sat up slowly and this time the person let him. There was a blanket draped over him, and while he was still cold he was grateful for the added layer. He wanted to thank the man for helping him and get a better look at him but his head was still throbbing. Blaine leaned down and rested his forehead in his hands, groaning again. He felt a tentative hand on his back before it starting rubbing between his shoulders softly.

"How did you get even get here?" The man asked and Blaine lifted his head to look at him. Blaine's voice caught in his throat as his eyes locked onto the gorgeous eyes of the stranger. He couldn't think of anything to say, they both just sat and looked at each other and before either could break the silence heard a noise, branches cracking, and then a voice.

"Blaine! Blaine where are you?"

"Sam," Blaine said, looking through the mist and up the hill. He called louder "Sam down here!" He regretted yelling immediately, the sound of his voice making his head pound. The person who had helped him stood and Blaine looked up at him, only able to tell he was tall and lithe as the moon shone brightly behind him.

"Wait. Don't go."

"Your friend will help you?" The stranger asked.

"Yes, but-"

"I have to go." The man said as he looked behind his shoulder nervously.

"No, wait-" Blaine reached out but the man was already walking away. Blaine's eyes followed him as he moved through the fog. He was leaving before Blaine wanted him too, before he had a chance to thank him. Squinting against the moonlight and trying to focus on what seemed like the outline of a town through the edge of the forest.

"Blaine where are you?"

"Down here. I fell." He slowly stood on his feet, testing his balance, which seemed to be okay. The comforting buzzing feeling in his skin was less now and he felt a little empty without it. Sam came down the hill much more gracefully than Blaine had.

"Holy crap dude, I thought you had been eaten by Big Foot or something."

"I don't think they have Big Foot in Ireland." Blaine said, his lips twitching in a smile.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe stolen by leprechauns?"

Blaine let out a huff of a laugh as his hand stroked over his head.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, narrowing his eyes and reaching forward.

"Hit my head, but I think I'm okay. There was this guy…"

Sam pushed some hair out of Blaine's face looking for a bump or a bruise, "One of the guys from the pub?"

"No, no. He was helping me-" Blaine looked towards the edge of the forest but couldn't see him, or make out the town he'd seen earlier.

"He went towards the town over there." Blaine said pointing.

"Blaine, buddy. There isn't a town over there." Sam stepped up closer and looked him in the eyes. "Maybe you hit your head harder than you thought."

"No, I… he gave me a blanket and..." Blaine looked around. There was no blanket. "He must have taken it."

"We should get you back to the hotel." Sam said.

"I don't have the key. It was taken with everything else."

"I have mine, it wasn't in my wallet."

Sam was significantly more knowledgeable with outdoorsy things than Blaine, and he used the compass app on his phone to help them find their way out of the forest. Blaine would have been lost for hours on his own. Finally they got back to town and to their hotel without running into any of the men from the bar. When they got to their room Blaine was exhausted, covered in dirt and twigs and ready for the day to be over.

He collapsed on the bed as Sam took a shower to get the traces of the woods off of him and the Blaine sluggishly took a shower of his own afterwards. After they had settled in their beds, with Blaine was warm and drowsy under the covers, Sam spoke up.

"What are we going to do Blaine? We don't even have money to settle our bill here at the hotel."

Blaine hadn't even been thinking about that All he could think about was the man with the lovely voice that had come out of nowhere to help him. He knew Sam was right; they were in trouble here.

"I could call my folks, but they don't have a lot of cash to spare." Sam suggested.

"I can't call my parents asking for money." Blaine said quickly.

"No. I know. I wasn't trying to suggest that."

It was quite for a moment before Blaine sighed; there was no way he was letting Sam's parents get them out of this jam, they had just gotten back on their feet after years of financial struggles. "I could call Cooper."

"You don't have to do that, man."

"No… it's okay. Let's just have him send us enough money to pay our bill."

"And then we head home. I mean we can't really afford to stay any longer."

"Yeah. Sure." Blaine said turning on his side, hugging a pillow to his chest and yawning. "But first I want to find that town I saw…" He added and then drifted off to sleep.

 

The next morning Blaine made a collect call to his older brother Cooper. Blaine had a troubled and difficult relationship with his parents, but he and Cooper generally got along. Mostly. Still he didn't really want to have to call from Ireland and ask Cooper to wire him money, but they were out of options.

"Hey Coop." Blaine said when his brother answered the phone, grateful that his brother had accepted his call.

"You're calling from Ireland?" Cooper said in surprise. "What are you doing in Ireland Squirt?"

Blaine hated being called 'Squirt' and Cooper knew it, but he decided not to mention it when he was about to ask for a favor. "I'm on vacation. With a friend"

"Ooooh, a boyfriend?" Cooper asked. Blaine rolled his eyes at Cooper's enthusiasm.

"A friend who is a guy, but no, he's straight." Blaine sighed heavily, rubbing his face with the palm of his free hand and realizing for the first time that his head didn't hurt anymore, "Listen Cooper, I… hate to ask this but Sam and I are in a little trouble."

"Trouble?" Cooper's voice come out lower and tinged with worry.

"We were pick-pocketed, and they took almost everything. We still have our passports, and I hate to ask, but..."

"Say no more Squirt. How much do you need and how do I get it to you?"

Blaine smiled, feeling grateful that Cooper was so willing to help. Though he was sure Cooper would want some favor in return sometime down the line. The two men made arrangements and before they hung up Blaine knew what the favor would be.

"When you get back home you need to come out to California and visit me. I've been asking you for ages."

"I know, but…" Blaine tried to think of an excuse not to go. He loved his brother, he did, but too much time with him was difficult.

"Blaine, no excuses."

"Yeah, Cooper. Sure." Blaine said resigned. "I'll come visit you."

They got off the phone and Blaine felt frustrated. He hated being in Cooper's debt, but glad to have a way out of this mess. He and Sam were already packed; they just needed to give Cooper time to wire them the money to the hotel and pay their bill.

"We good to go?" Sam asked plopping down on the bed next to Blaine as he stared at the phone like Copper was going to jump out of it asking when exactly his visit would be.

"Yeah, Cooper is helping out."

"Your brother is the best!"

"You haven't met him," Blaine said rubbing the back of his neck and wanting to change the subject. "We have time today to go back to the forest and find that town before we leave."

"I told you Blaine, there is no town."

"Then what did I see and where did that guy come from?"

Sam looked at him solemnly. "Blaine. You... maybe saw a ghost." Then he smirked. "Oooooooooo!" He howled trying to sound ghost like before laughing.

Blaine smiled a little. "Shut up. Just come with me and I'll show you."

Sam eventually agreed just to show Blaine he was wrong. They checked out of the motel after the manager received Cooper's wire transfer, slung their bags over their shoulders and trudged out of town and through the woods. The forest was still a little foggy in the morning and they carefully made their way down the hill Blaine had toppled down the night before. They could see the edge of the forest but still no town.

"See, I told you." Sam said.

"But… how?" Blaine kept going, walking to the end of the trees and finally the mist cleared and as Blaine's eyes re-focused. On the other side of the tree line was a large green field full of flowers and then beyond that a small town appeared on the other side of the clearing, bright roofs and cozy looking cottages.

"Ha!" Blaine shouted turning to Sam and pointing. "I knew I didn't imagine it."

Sam looked surprised. "What the hell? I swear that wasn't here before."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Yeah Sam, you're right. It just appeared out of nowhere."

"Hey!" Sam said. "You bumped your head and I couldn't see it and… well I guess I'm glad you aren't crazy after all."

"Come on!" Blaine nodded towards the town and started that direction with Sam following behind.

They walked through the field, past a large oak tree and into the town. As they looked around, they were surprised; everything was quaint and rustic looking. Cottages with thatched roofs, cobblestone roads and iron lamp posts with candles in them. Everything was old fashioned, like the whole town was from a different era.

"How is this not on the maps or, like, tourist pamphlets at the hotel?" Sam asked. "It is all story-book looking and tourists love that crap."

Blaine smiled as they walked into town, feeling a weird kind of energy he couldn't explain, his skin buzzing with the same feeling it had last night. Something about this place was special.

They followed the main road through the town and started feeling a little nervous when they realized that no one was around. The town seemed empty.

"Is this like… the Irish version of a ghost town?" Sam asked.

Blaine didn't answer as a pair of children came out of one of the houses, they didn't see Blaine or Sam as they laughed and held hands running down the road. Sam and Blaine looked at each other and then followed them.

As they walked the twisting road into town the sound of music filled the air around them. They turned a corner and entered the center of town. Brightly colored banners and ribbons fluttered in the breeze, people danced and laughed with one another, flowers in their hair and smiles on their faces. The buzzing feeling under Blaine's skin grew, and the air here almost feeling thick, making him dizzy with happiness while his heart pounded and his fingertips felt twitchy.

He turned to Sam who seemed amused, but not as lost in awe as Blaine was.

"Well buddy." Sam said clapping Blaine on the back. "Looks like we found ourselves a party."

Blaine smiled and looked back out at the crowd of brightly clothed town's people and couldn't help thinking to himself, Maybe he's here.


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt woke up with his stomach feeling heavy and his mind clouded. Today was the first day of the festival and he should have been excited. He should have been bouncing out of bed and rushing downstairs to have breakfast with his father and then hurrying to the square to finish up decorations with Mercedes. He should have been happy like every other person in Folaigh today. Instead he felt like a lead weight had settled in his stomach. He was antsy and couldn't make himself get out bed, repeating the events of the night before over and over in his mind.

He'd been out in the meadows, enjoying the fresh air and the quiet, hoping to do some stargazing, when he'd heard a thud from the edge of the forest.

His first thought was that it must be an animal, but as his eyes scanned the nearby line of trees his curiosity pushed him forward. He'd crept slowly just beyond the trees, his knuckles white on the strap of his bag and his heart beating fast. This was as far as he was allowed to go, as far as he had ever been from the town.

Kurt’s eyes searched over the area as he wondered if maybe his imagination had run away from him, it was just the forest. He turned to go when his eyes landed on something and he took in a sharp breath. There, lying sprawled in the soil and foliage was a man, dirt and leaves smeared over his face, he wasn't moving and his eyes were closed. For a terrifying moment Kurt thought he'd come across a dead body, but then Kurt saw the man's chest slowly rising and falling.

He crept forward, taking in the man's appearance; tan skin, even in the shallow light of the moon, curly dark hair, and strange clothes. As he looked more closely Kurt realized he was hurt. His temple had a deep gash on it and blood was trickling down the side of his face.

Kurt's hands were shaking and he licked his dry lips knowing he shouldn't be there. He'd never met an outsider before and his instinct was to turn and run. He'd been taught that outsiders were often mean, evil, cruel people. Glancing behind him back towards the safety of his little village and then back down at this man. Kurt let out a frustrated sigh; he knew he couldn't run, even though he was itching to. The man was hurt and unconscious and in obvious need of help.

Swearing under his breath he knelt down next to the unconscious figure; his hands hovered for a moment, scared to touch him, but the man was helpless; he was at Kurt's mercy. He groaned a little and shuffled but his eyes didn't open. Kurt noticed the trail of blood at his temple was getting thicker and he was shivering in the cold as he laid on the hard forest floor.

Kurt bit his lip and then took a blanket out of his bag tucking it around the man to try and warm him. His shivering died down some, but on closer inspection, the wound was even worse than Kurt thought. He moved the man's head to rest it on his lap, his fingers lightly brushing over the man's forehead, pushing dark thick curls out of his face.

Taking  a breath to clear his head, Kurt looked the man over; he was beautiful, a strong face with full lips and smooth dark skin. He sighed, knowing he was verging on creepy staring like this. Kurt took off the vest he was wearing and dabbed the blood from the man's head. His vest would be ruined, but he needed to see the wound better.

Once the man's head was cleaned Kurt softly circled his fingertips around the injury feeling his energy hum inside him as some flowed out of his fingers and into the stranger, a faint blue light stringing from Kurt's fingertips to the man's wound. Soon the gash stopped bleeding and then slowly grew smaller until it disappeared altogether. Kurt wiped the man's blood away with his vest again. There was just a little bruise left where the cut in his head use to be, but Kurt could feel his energy thrumming through the man's body, it served to close the man's wound, but now it would be left flowing through his veins for a day or so. There was nothing Kurt could do about that though, it was the price of healing someone, Kurt's residual energy.

He needed to decide what to do next. Should he bring him back to town? He couldn't just leave him here alone. As he considered his options, the man's eyes fluttered, then opened and wearily blinked at Kurt. The light of the moon shone down on him, and, oh, he was quite beautiful. His eyes round, golden, and expressive.

"Sam?" The man asked and tried to get up.

Kurt shushed him and softly coaxed him back down. He'd still be dizzy for a moment and Kurt felt like he should check for other injuries before he let the man stand. Kurt spoke softly to the man as his hands gently roamed looking to see if there was anything else Kurt needed to repair.

"I'm sorry about the money." The man mumbled. "We didn't mean to steal from you."

Kurt froze. A thief. This man was a criminal. He clenched his jaw, disappointed in himself, of course the man was dishonest, he was an outsider.

"I don't think you're badly hurt." Kurt said, ignoring the comment about the stolen money and wanting to get away from him as soon as he could. "Hit your head, though."

The man just blinked up and him and then tried to lift himself again, which Kurt let him do. He groaned and leaned forward holding his head in his hands.

Kurt gently placed a hand on the man's back and started to rub it comfortingly. What was he doing? This was an outsider. Outsiders couldn't be trusted. Outsiders didn't belong here. They didn't come here. Kurt should just leave but instead Kurt kept rubbing the man's back softly.

"How are you here?" Kurt asked the question echoing in his head.

The man didn't answer but instead just stared at Kurt, his gaze making Kurt want to blush. Then there was a commotion from above them and together they looked up.

"Blaine! Where are you?"

The man's name was Blaine and he wasn't out here alone. Kurt's heart sped up. One injured outsider he could deal with, but if there were more of them… Blaine called back and Kurt knew it was time for him to leave. He stood, grabbing his blanket and vest as the man looked up at him.

"Your friend will help you?" Kurt didn't want to leave until he knew that Blaine would be okay. He didn't heal someone just to leave them in danger; even if the guy was a thief and an outsider.

"Yes." Blaine said looking up at him with wide eyes that made Kurt's heart twinge for reasons he didn't understand.

Kurt nodded. "I have to go."

He wanted to be gone before anyone else came down the hill, turning  and quickly walking away, moving faster and faster until he was running through the field between him and his home. Kurt skidded into town and then ran down the street to his house. Back home he ran up to his room, panting and scared. What had he done? He should have never involved himself. What if the outsider came looking for them now that Kurt had exposed himself? He'd been so stupid.

But still… he couldn't have just left someone unconscious and hurt. Kurt moaned and fell back onto his bed. He wouldn't ever tell anyone about this and hope that he never saw an outsider again. Kurt curled up in bed and tried to sleep, but all the ways things could have gone wrong kept him awake late into the night.

Now in the bright light of morning Kurt's nighttime encounter seemed almost unreal. If not for the slight stinging feel of using his energy, and the bloody vest he tossed nearby, he might have been able to convince himself it was all a dream. He finally crawled out from bed and readied himself for the day, trying to work up some excitement about the festival and forget about the strange happenings of the night before. Then he went downstairs to find his father making breakfast.

"Good morning!" Burt said cheerfully. "I thought you were out already."

"Slow start to the day." Kurt said as he sat down at the table.

Burt looked at him questioningly. "Didn't sleep well? Too excited about the festival?"

Kurt smiled. "Yeah, something like that." Burt served them both breakfast and they ate mostly in silence Kurt's mind drifting to dark curls and golden eyes.

He didn't know if he should tell his dad about last night, but eventually decided against it. The outsiders had to be gone by now and there was no reason to worry his dad, besides he didn't want his father angry at him. He had been so foolish last night.

"Today's the Centennial." Burt said breaking the silence. "A hundred years. Can you believe it?"

Kurt nodded, he knew that today was the Centennial, everyone did, but still the thought filled him with a sense of awe.

"A hundred years since the miracle began." Kurt said clearing off the table.

Kurt finally started to feel excited, but couldn't completely shake the uneasy feeling he had, like maybe what he did last night was following him around. Something felt wrong, there was a heaviness in the air, like things were about to change.

He spent the rest of the morning in the square with Mercedes finishing up decorations. The festival didn't officially start until noon, but already the square was full of vendors with sweet smelling foods and people excitedly milling around.

"This is going to be the best festival we've ever had!" Mercedes said elated as they raised a bright golden banner over the archway that led to the town square.

"A hundred years," He paused, taking a breath, the golden banner nearly blinding him in the morning sunlight, "A hundred years have passed and we have this."

"You don't sound excited," Mercedes said turning to face him.

"I am! I love the festival... it's just that, do you…" Kurt looked down, toeing the ground before he built up his courage and looked Mercedes in the eye. "Do you ever wonder what life is like outside of Folaigh? I mean this town is all we've ever known and I can't help but wonder what else there is."

Mercedes eyes widened and she stood closer to Kurt speaking under her breath. "You mean on the outside? With outsiders?"

"What if they aren't all so bad?"

"Kurt! How could you,of all people, ask that? After what they took from you?"

Kurt sighed, a heavy feeling tightening in his chest as his shoulders sagged. He thought of his mother and didn't need to be reminded of what he'd lost.

"I know. You're right." Kurt set his jaw, outsiders couldn't be trusted, they were murderers and power mongers and… and thieves.

Kurt glanced across the square as it filled with more and more people. They were happy, smiling, laughing, but he knew under it all was the fear of outsiders. The festival was a joyous time, but it was also the only time of year they were vulnerable to the outside world. Once their festival had been interrupted by outsiders, and while Kurt was too young at the time to know all of what had happened, he knew  it had shaken everyone's sense of security. As he watched the people he'd known his whole life ready for the celebration he wondered what they'd do if they knew how close outsiders had come to finding them again last night.

He looked back at Mercedes who was talking about something Kurt had completely missed. Kurt wished he could forget the outsider form last night., Blaine, part of him reminded, but his name didn't matter, Blaine wasn't from Folaigh, and Kurt wouldn't ever see him again. He should have never gone out last night at all.

Kurt focused on the festival. He followed Mercedes to the cart they were manning, flower wreaths, bouquets, and boutonnieres made of all colors, flowers that grew wild in the field surrounding Folaigh and some from the garden he shared with Mercedes. The flower cart was always popular at the festival.

Everything started at noon with music and a speech from the town leader about the miracle of Folaigh and their hundred years of peace and unity. That was something the people of Folaigh did that Kurt could never understand, even though he did it himself sometimes, talk about the hundred years of miracle like it had been a hundred years for them. It hadn't really been a hundred years, not in Folaigh at least.

After the speeches the music picked up and there was dancing and eating and drinking. Mercedes and Kurt kept busy; everyone wanted flowers and wreaths to wear while they danced. Both Kurt and Mercedes were giddy, the tension of the morning finally falling from Kurt's shoulders, as they enjoyed themselves, the music and the smiling faces of people he'd known his whole life. Joy fluttered through the air almost like a tangible object.

"We should close down for a little while and go dance!" Mercedes said bouncing on her toes, her dark hair springing around her face. "Come on Kurt!"

Kurt laughed, "You go ahead, I'm going to stay a little longer and then we can open again tomorrow."

Mercedes smiled. "Okay, I'm going to keep you to that. You owe me a dance!" She said and then spun around, her skirt twirling before she got lost in the crowd of dancers.

Kurt watched, enjoying the flashes of color and the laughing and singing that rose above the band's music. This year the festival was going to be greater than any other year, instead of a week they had a whole month here and they were going to have events and parties throughout that time. This was just the first day; Kurt knew there was plenty of time for dancing.

Standing at his stall and watching the crowd Kurt probably noticed before anyone else that there was a shift in the energy of air. Not bad, but different. Slowly, others started to notice it too. Everyone seemed aware that something was happening and the dancing slowed and the voices died down. Kurt looked around trying to find out what was going on when the music came to a halt.

People turned to look up the street and Kurt followed their gaze. Two young men walked into the town square, stopping as everyone stared at them.

Outsiders.

The word floated through the air, slipping off the tongues of everyone in the square.

Kurt's stomach dropped as he immediately recognized the tan skin and dark curls of the man called Blaine.

"No" Kurt looked around at the stunned faces of everyone else in town. They were on the verge of an all-out panic.

Before anyone could do anything one of the town leaders walked up to the stage where she had made her speech earlier that day.

"People of Folaigh!" She said her voice booming over the sudden silence. "Why have we stopped the music and the dancing? This is a time to celebrate Centennial day!"

People were hesitant to turn away from the strangers, but slowly they began looking back towards the stage as a feeling of ease and comfort drifted over the crowd. They all knew the feeling was radiating to them from their leader, but it took hold none the less.

"There is no reason to fear guests," She said and Kurt narrowed his eyes at the word choice. They weren't guests,  they weren't meant to be here. "Please! Please enjoy yourselves everyone! Start up the music!"

It took a moment of murmuring, but then the music started again and slowly the dancing as well. They had outsiders among them, but their leader was sending out strong vibes of peace and assurance and she had told everyone not to worry, so they weren't.

Kurt could feel the inklings of calm drifting over him, but he had more to be anxious about than everyone else. It was his fault these men were here. He quickly pulled a tarp over his cart, and started making his way through the crowd keeping his eyes on the outsiders. He didn't recognize the taller blonde boy, but assumed it was Sam; the one who had come looking for Blaine last night.

Surprised, Kurt watched Quinn already  approached them and was offering them mugs of mead to drink. Kurt wanted to rush forward and hit the mugs to the ground. Why would Quinn be so willing to offer them something to drink? To make them want to stay? Kurt stopped in his tracks wondering why was he walking towards them? Shouldn't he want to be as far away from outsides as he could? However, there was a pull in the pit of his stomach telling him to move.

He stood still, not letting his feet bring him closer despite the tug telling him to, and he couldn't help but stare. Blaine turned letting their eyes met and Kurt stood frozen for a moment with the air around him shifting, feeling warm like summer sun. Kurt couldn't do this. He quickly ducked away and back into the crowd. Something about the intensity of Blaine's eyes made his skin sing and he didn't like how his knees felt a little wobbly.

Kurt made it to the other side of the square before he felt a little silly. There was no reason for a stranger to have this effect on him. Setting his jaw, he decided he wouldn't be afraid of two outsiders when he was surrounded by his people.

He took a mug off the tray of a passing waiter and chugged the mead down quickly before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and walking determinedly through the crowd. Kurt saw the man from last night again but his blonde friend was nowhere to be seen. That was alright since Blaine was his target. Kurt knew what the buzzing under his skin was urging him to do. He just… he had to be near Blaine.

 

Blaine and Sam had followed a road towards the center of town, to the sound of music and laughter. Blaine couldn't believe what they found. The city square was large and bustling with people, food and drinks passed out all around them and everyone was dancing, a band in the rear and vendor stalls set up around the edges.

"What is this?" Sam said, "Some kind of Irish Holiday? And look at what everyone is wearing. It's like October fest!" Sam grinned brightly, "Except not German. Or October."

Everyone was dressed in old fashioned styles. Skirts and petticoats, waistcoats and cuff links. Everything was old fashioned; the buildings, the decorations, there were no electric lights or cars. It all looked like Sam and Blaine had walked backwards in time.

It was beautiful.

Blaine turned to Sam to point out a maypole in the middle of the dancers when the music abruptly stopped and everyone in the town turned to look at them with shocked and almost scared expressions.

"Uh… oops." Sam turned to Blaine. "Do you think this party is by invite only?"

Blaine didn't answer, as the people in the square continued to just stare at them. It was creepy.

Then a tall blonde woman stepped up on the stage, her voice carrying over the crowd. She encouraged the people to keep celebrating, saying something about their Centennial. Then the music started up again and the people slowly started to continue their dancing, like nothing had happened and Blaine was struck by a strong feeling of peace that he couldn't quite understand.

Sam didn't seem affected, or maybe he just didn't notice because a pretty young woman came up to them, shyly offering them each a mug of something that smelled like beer. Sam took it gratefully and Blaine didn't want to be rude so he took one as well, though he still didn't understand what had just happened.

"Welcome to Folaigh." The girl said with a thick Irish lilt to her voice. She licked her lips and pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "It is the first day of our Centennial festival."

"Oh? Like the town's anniversary?"

The girl smiled brightly, biting her lip a little like she had a secret. "A hundred years of miracle."

Sam smiled and leaned forward, "Is that right? Folaigh is a miracle town?" He winked and pronounced the name of the town incorrectly.

The girl laughed and Blaine started to tune out their banter. He looked up from his drink and his breath caught in his chest as he locked eyes with a man at the edge of the dancers. He was tall and had pale skin that looked almost pearl-like in the light of the sun. His hair was swooped up perfectly over his angular face and his eyes… his eyes were so blue and looking directly at Blaine, he made his skin tingle. They both seemed to stand frozen for a moment and then the man turned quickly and dashed away through the crowd.

"Wait!"

Blaine put down his mug on a nearby table, and dropped his bag near Sam's feet as he started after the man with the blue eyes. He knew him; it was the man who had helped him the night before. He recognized those eyes and Blaine wanted to stop him, to thank him for his help, but he couldn't find him in the crowd. So much movement and color with people twirling and dancing and getting in his way.

Blaine sighed in frustration and then made his way back to where he'd left Sam. Sam wasn't there though and as Blaine looked out into the crowd he saw Sam dancing with the girl who'd brought them drinks.

That was okay. They were leaving today, so it didn't hurt to have a little fun first. Blaine leaned against a cart as his eyes scanned the crowd, the feeling of peace and happiness in the air swirling around him. He stood up straight when the crowd seem to part before him and the young man from last night came striding through the dancers. Their eyes locked and Blaine noticed the determined look on the man’s face,his blue eyes sparkling. It was as if time froze. Blaine couldn't move. This man had run from Blaine only moments ago, but now his jaw was set and his eyes flashing as they burrowed into Blaine. As Blaine swallowed nervously, the man strode right up to Blaine and before Blaine could even speak he grabbed Blaine by his shirt collar and started dragging him away from the dancers.

"What are you doing here?" The man hissed and Blaine was too surprised by his harsh tone to answer. "You shouldn't be here, I knew it, I knew I shouldn't have-" He was cut off as a young woman with dark skin and curly hair approached them.

"Kurt?" She arched her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kurt, that must be this man's name, looked quickly back and forth between Blaine and the woman before he grabbed Blaine's wrist ignoring the young woman and pulling Blaine into the dancing crowd.

"Uh… hello." Blaine said as Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders and started to dance.

Kurt didn't answer; instead he lowered his hands to Blaine's hips and turned them around so they were moving towards the center of the dancing throng, where it was the most packed with people.

"I know you." Blaine tried again feeling breathless, he swayed with Kurt and his throat felt a little dry at the closeness of this stranger. "We… we almost met last night. You helped me when I fell."

The man wouldn't meet his eyes but Blaine saw a small smile twitch over his lips and then disappear again. He pulled Blaine closer, his arms moving to circle around his back making their chest touch.

"We can't talk about that here." He said his voice less harsh than it was before.

Blaine's heart started picking up speed, and his skin started to tingle. This guy was absolutely gorgeous and was holding Blaine close. his breath brushing against Blaine's skin. Blaine could hardly even dance he was so overcome, but it was okay because Kurt was taking the lead.

"My… My name is Blaine." He stuttered out as he settled his hands on Kurt's swaying hips and they danced and spun around in the crowd. Blaine felt a little dizzy and he didn't know if it was from the dancing or from having Kurt's warm body pressed against his own.

Kurt leaned in bringing his lips close to Blaine's ear. "I know your name," he whispered and Blaine felt a shiver run through him.

Blaine smiled and held Kurt tighter and they pressed their bodies even closer together. Kurt smelled sweet, like flowers; maybe it was the purple wreath he was wearing like a crown in his hair, setting off his blue eyes and making him look almost elfin.

"It's nice to meet you Kurt." Blaine said earnestly with his heart beating fast. Kurt finally lifted his eyes to look at him and Blaine's heart jumped in his chest while his skin tingled.

They kept dancing, not saying anything else, but their eyes remained locked. Kurt was swaying their bodies together and Blaine was feeling almost drunk even though he hadn't even finished the drink he'd be given. It was something in the air. Maybe it was just the happiness of the celebration. Maybe it was the smile that curved over Kurt's lips.

Blaine and Kurt were snug in each other's arms, no space between them as they moved around the other dancers and Blaine could feel the beating of Kurt's heart against his chest. Kurt stared at him intently and Blaine blinked rapidly as he took Kurt in. He was so beautiful; pink lips and his flushed cheeks, a fine splattering of freckles, a perfect upturned nose and of course those eyes that seemed like they could look through you.

Blaine would have just kept dancing, swept up in the music and the warm press of Kurt against him, but then the music changed and Kurt took a deep breath looking at Blaine like he was seeing him for the first time.

"I… I have to go." His arms moved from around Blaine.

Blaine stood alone as Kurt slipped quickly through the crowd again and out of sight. Blaine didn't understand any of what had just happened, but he needed to understand. He needed to find Kurt again, talk to him, really meet him. He looked around at the almost dizzying colors of the square. Maybe he and Sam didn't have to head back to the states so soon after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt didn't understand what had gotten into him. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweaty. He'd been dancing with Blaine so close and it had felt amazing, it felt right, but he didn't know what had possessed him to do it. He had meant to tell Blaine to stay away, to leave town before someone figured out that they had met he ended up dancing with him in front of everyone?

Once he'd realized how closely and unashamedly he was dancing with Blaine he had to move away. He ran out of the town square, panting and afraid, leaving behind the stunned and gorgeous man he'd just made a fool of himself with.

He wasn't afraid of Blaine, even if maybe he should be. No, it was his own actions that frightened him. He stopped far away from the square, but could still hear the music in the air. Kurt leaned against the side of a building for support. Catching his breath and trying to get the enchanted look of Blaine's face out of his mind.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there, his heart still beating too fast and his skin buzzing, before his father found him there.

"Kurt." He said placing his hands on Kurt's shoulders. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm… I'm fine." Kurt said though his trembling voice gave him away.

Burt looked him up and down; it was obvious that he wasn't okay. "What were you doing dancing with an outsider?"

"You saw that?" Kurt's stomach plummeted. Everyone in town would be talking about it anyway, but he hated that his father had actually seen it.

"Everyone saw that, you two were all over each other."

Kurt winced. He really had lost all reason for a moment. "I don't know… I just… I just wanted to dance with him and then it got really… intense."

His dad looked him over for a moment, quiet and thoughtful. "Did you use magic on him?"

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek. He wanted to say no, but he was past the point of being able to cover this up.

"I went to the clearing outside of town last night, to look at the stars and… he was there. He'd fallen and hit his head and it was bleeding and I almost left, but I couldn't dad. How could I leave when someone was hurt? You know I can't… I've never been able to… So I… I used my magic, but only a little. To help him." He took a deep breath. "I never meant for him to come here." Kurt's eyes were stinging as he held back his tears. "I didn't mean to put our town in danger."

"Oh Kurt…" His dad let go of his shoulders and shook his head. "You used magic on an outsider?"

"He didn't know though, he wasn't conscience and-" He was interrupted by a voice behind them.

"Well young Hummel. It seems you know more about these outsiders than the rest of us." Sue Sylvester stood behind Burt's shoulder with her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.

Kurt' clenched his jaw not looking Sue in the eyes. The last thing he wanted was for Sue to be involved in this.

"I don't know anything."

"Really? Because you just admitted to using your magic on one of them."

Kurt groaned. Everything was going wrong today. Kurt looked at his dad who nodded for him to tell her.

"Last night, He hurt himself and I helped him. I never even saw his friend. I never thought they'd come here."

Sue nodded, but her brow was furrowed and her lips pursed."Don't worry. We've had outsiders here before." She said with a wave of her hand. "We just need to keep them in the dark and we can't have them going back to where they came from with stories about Folaigh. Honestly, with the festival lasting a month this year the leaders knew we might get visitors."

That wasn't exactly comforting.

"Last time we there were outsiders didn't we drive them out of town?" Kurt said hated the thought of doing that to Blaine, Blaine had done nothing wrong.

"Because it was necessary, but since you led them here-"

"I didn't!" Kurt interrupted finally meeting Sue's eyes. "I didn't lead them here. I only made sure Blaine didn't die from a head wound."

"You interacted with outsiders." Sue said coolly.

"They were already on our land. And what was I meant to do? Leave Blaine there to bleed? This isn't my fault."

"Of course it isn't your fault Bud." His dad spoke up glaring at Sue who didn't seem to notice or care.

Sue just folded her arms across her chest. "Blaine is it? You call him by name?"

Kurt flushed, realizing how familiar it sounded to keep using Blaine's name.

"Sue, leave my son alone."

"He is an adult, he can account for his own actions. Besides, there is something he could do to help with these outsiders."

Kurt shifted his feet and attempted to swallow down his nerves, he didn't like the glint in Sue's eyes, but he'd do what he had to do if his home was in danger.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to keep an eye on them. That short one with the dark hair like a windblown bird's nest especially. Make sure while he is here is doesn't… start trouble or find out too much about us." She glanced from Kurt to his dad and back again. "I think we should invite them to stay a few days."

"What? Why?" Burt asked balling a fist. "Why wouldn't we want to get them out of here as soon as we can?"

Kurt couldn't help the way his heart dropped at the thought of Blaine leaving. What was wrong with him? Why did he care if Blaine stayed or left?

"This is a unique opportunity to learn about how the outside world has changed. Besides we have to make sure they won't tell anyone about us." Sue nodded towards Kurt, "You porcelain, get to keep an eye on him and report back to me what you learn."

Kurt's throat and mouth felt dry, he couldn't do that. His feelings towards Blaine were too confusing; he didn't want to spend more time with him just to feel more confused. He didn't want anything more to do with either of them. Kurt closed his eyes and sighed, trying to convince himself that was true.

"No, I can't." He said shaking his head, he had to find a way out of this. "I… he... he's a thief!" He burst out without thinking.

"A thief?" Sue asked raising an eyebrow.

Kurt clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes wide, he was making everything so much worse. He wished he could just start this day all over. He would run the opposite direction when he saw Blaine. Though he had to admit, if he had last night to do over, he'd still help him.

"He said something last night, about stealing money." Kurt dropped his hand and regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, but he'd gone too far not to explain now.

"All the more reason for you to keep your eyes on him." Sue said evenly. "I'll take to the Joneses. They have room to let the outsiders stay at their place tonight. It's been too long since their hotel had guest anyway." Sue turned on the spot; her mind made up, and started to walk away, waving a hand in the air. "I expect a report from you on him soon!"

When she was gone Kurt slumped back against the wall again. "I've really messed this up haven't I?"

Burt rubbed his hand over his bald head. "If we had to have outsiders here I would have been happier if you weren't involved. Why didn't you tell me about last night Kurt?"

"You're on the town council, why didn't you tell me you thought there might be outsiders during the festival?"

His dad sighed. "I didn't want to worry you."

"Exactly."

Burt moved to stand beside Kurt, his back also resting on the wall and his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"Outsiders are a risk every time we appear. And with the festival being so long this year, yes we knew it could happen. I just didn't expect my son to be tangled in it."

Kurt grimaced. "Sorry."

"Just go find him, and… be careful, okay?"

"Wait, you want me to spy on him?"

Burt rubbed his head again looking tired. "No, not really. But, you already know him and I know you'll be careful… and I have a feeling you wouldn't stay away from him any way."

"I would. I want to!" Kurt said, but the words sounded false to his own ears.

"Be careful Kurt, outsiders can't be trusted." Was Burt's only response.

"Of course dad."

Burt's face was tense, jaw set and eyes worried. Kurt understood, the idea of spying on outsiders left a tight feeling in his own stomach. He would do it though, he felt responsible for the outsiders' presence even if he had denied leading them here.

He reluctantly pushed off the wall and started back towards the town square. With any luck he would have missed them, he almost hoped they'd already left town. But of course they were still here, Kurt had never really had that Irish luck.

Sam was with Quinn still, not dancing but talking to each other animatedly. Quinn was determined to become part of the council and Kurt was sure she would someday. He wondered if Sue had told her to keep an eye on Sam the same way he was meant to keep an eye on Blaine. That might have been why she'd brought him mead when everyone else was wary of them.

Kurt already hated this, guessing people's motives, having to keep an eye on this stranger who had some kind of strange hold on him. Why had these two even have to come to Folaigh?

Blaine was with Sam and Quinn, hanging back a little like he didn't want to bother his friend while he talked to a pretty girl. Kurt blew out a long breath, he could do this. Just go talk to him, he is just a person, not some kind of monster. Kurt squared his shoulders and started walking over to Blaine. Ignoring the strange flutter in his chest when Blaine smiled.

His smile really was lovely.

Blaine was only half paying attention to Sam flirting with the woman they had just met, instead he was trying to think of a way to ask her if she knew Kurt. He would take any information he could find out about the man who had helped him, danced with him and run away as if he was afraid Blaine might explode or something.

Blaine glanced up from his mug and there, like he knew Blaine had been thinking about him, stood Kurt. Blaine smiled as Kurt walked toward them, his hands in his pockets and a blush on his cheeks. Blaine waited, he was already learning to let Kurt come to him.

"Um, hello." Kurt said shyly as he pushed a stray hair behind his ear. Blaine didn't understand this man, one minute he was dancing brazening with Blaine and now he seemed like a shy school boy. It was as intriguing as it was confusing.

"Hi." Blaine said and could feel a huge smile cover his face.

"Sorry that I just… sorry about earlier." Kurt said looking embarrassed.

"No. No. It's fine." Blaine said wanting to put him at ease. "You're a great dancer."

Kurt blushed a deeper pink and Blaine's stomach flipped.

"I see you've met Quinn." Kurt continued and Quinn smiled.

"Kurt this is Sam." She said. "And Blaine whom you seem to know."

"Nice to meet you." Kurt answered and Sam shook his hand.

"I was just trying to convince Sam and Blaine to stay for a little while. I'm sure the Joneses could put them up in their Inn."

Blaine watched as Kurt gave Quinn some kind of look he couldn't understand, eyebrows raised and lips tight. They were obviously having some kind of silent conversation with each other and it looked to Blaine that Kurt wasn't as ready to have them stay as Quinn was.

"I don't know…" Kurt started.

"We'd love to stay!" Sam said excitedly and Blaine smiled and looked at Kurt. Yeah, staying seemed like a good idea.

"We don't have a lot of cash though." Blaine said. "My brother wired us some, but…"

Quinn and Kurt looked confused for a moment before Quinn spoke up again, linking her arm through Sam's. "Oh don't worry about payment, you could help with the festival! I'm sure that would be enough."

Blaine looked back and forth between the pair wondering if he was missing something. "I… we can stay without paying?"

"It's the Centennial." Quinn said as if that answered it all.

"Well, great! We'd love to stay!" Sam answered for them both and Quinn started walking down the street pulling Sam away from the noise and revelry of the town square. "Let me show you around." She said and actually batted her eyelashes.

Blaine didn't follow knowing Sam wanted some alone time with Quinn. He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked nervously back up at Kurt. "It looks like we're staying for a little while then."

"Yes." Kurt said biting his lip. "I guess so." His eyes were downcast and his jaw tight.

Blaine didn't know what he'd done to offend Kurt, but he knew he wanted to make it up to him. "Thank you… by the way. For helping me last night." He touched his head for a moment. "I guess I'm lucky I didn't crack my head any harder than I did."

Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and let out sigh. "I'm glad you're alright." He face was blank, but his voice sounded sincere.

"I… I guess I'll let you get back to the party then." Blaine started to turn away, he wasn't going to force his company on Kurt if he didn't want him around.

"No! Wait." Kurt unfolded his arms and took a step towards Blaine. "I… We could…" He glanced at Blaine and then away for a moment, licking his rosy lips as if trying to decide what to say. "Do you want to see my flowers stall?"

Blaine lifted his brows and tried not to smile too big. "A flowers stall?"

"My friend Mercedes and I… We have a stall." He gestured to the flower wreath in his hair. "People like to wear flowers during the festival."

Blaine couldn't stop his broad smile now, Kurt looked exquisite in that wreath. "I would love that." Anything to spend more time with this strange and beautiful man.

Kurt nodded and then surprised him by taking his hand. "I'll show you."

Blaine could have sworn his felt electricity in Kurt's touch. They walked along the edge of the square until they got to a wooden cart painted with swirls and flowers and detailed designs. It looked ten times more impressive than the other carts around them.

"This one is yours? It's amazing."

Kurt smiled. "I painted it." He said proudly his fingers tracing a green swirl up the side of the wooden cart. Then he pulled the tarp off the top, the cart was full of flowers and wreaths and little bouquets, it smelled heavenly too. It smelled like Kurt, or Kurt smelled like flowers it would seem.

"Do you… would you like one?" Kurt asked and Blaine looked up from the cart to meet Kurt's eyes.

"A flower?"

"A wreath maybe?" Kurt hardly met his gaze, his fingers brushing over the soft petals of one of the flowers. Why was he so tentative? Where had the man who pulled him onto the dance floor gone?

"I would love one, how much is it?"

Kurt smiled, ""It is just a flower wreath. You don't have to pay for it." He grabbed a basket and started picking out flowers. Once he had a good amount he tugged on Blaine's hand again, wordlessly leading him away from the square. Blaine followed as Kurt kept walking until they got to the edge of the town and the meadow that surrounded it.

He led Blaine to a bench under a big shade tree. They were far enough away from the square that the music of the festival was just a soft sigh in the air. It would be easier to talk here. That is if Blaine could find his voice, Kurt's hand in his own was warm and soft and doing things to Blaine's brain that kept him from thinking straight.

To Blaine's dismay Kurt let go of his hand to sit on the bench, Blaine sat next to him as he started pulling flowers out of the started carefully selecting flowers glancing up and Blaine's face and then down again, looping the stems together with great skill. "I think some of the yellow poppies will be nice for you. They will bring out the gold in your eyes and then… maybe some lemon leaf for a green…"

Blaine watched Kurt as he worked, so intently braiding and looping the delicate yellow flowers together with some greenery. The tip of Kurt's tongue sticking out and his fingers fast and nimble.

Blaine felt like he was in a trance watching him, so sure and steady, concentrating on the flowers. With Kurt's gaze distracted Blaine allowed himself to really look at Kurt, his hair looked chestnut in the summer sun the freckles on the bridge of his nose stood out. He wasn't blushing as hard now, but still his cheeks were a little pink compared to the smooth paleness of his skin. Blaine felt giddy just being so near to him.

When Kurt was done with the wreath he looked back at Blaine and smiled.

"I'm glad I helped you last night... even though maybe I shouldn't have."

"Shouldn't have?" Blaine lifted his eyebrows in surprise and Kurt's face fell a little and he shook his head.

"No. I mean… that's not what I meant. You know... it is just… with strangers you never know what you're going to get. I'm trying to say I'm glad that I helped you… I..." He rubbed his forehead with his palm. "I'll be quiet."

"No. Don't stop talking." Blaine chuckled covering one of Kurt's hands with his own. "It's fine. Besides, I like hearing your voice." Okay, Blaine did not mean to say that.

Kurt smiled and little dimples formed on his cheeks. Blaine had to hold his breath as Kurt lifted the wreath, moving his hand from Blaine's to place the flowers on Blaine's head, pushing some curls out of Blaine's face as he did. He sat back to admire his handy work.

"There, perfect."

Blaine's cheeks felt hot as he met Kurt's sharp blue eyes and a warm feeling started blooming in his chest.

They just looked at each other for a long moment. Blaine didn't know Kurt really, he knew that he was the sort of person to help a stranger in need, and he was kind and generous, but Blaine was struck with a deep desire to learn all kinds of things about Kurt.

What was his home like? What kind of music did he listen too? Blaine wanted to know his favorite color, his favorite place in the world, what he did to pass the time, the cadence of his laugh, what sounds he might make while being kissed.

Wow, Blaine needed to reel himself in here, he cleared his throat "Thank you for the wreath… I don't know how to repay you for all your kindness."

Kurt looked down. "You don't need to thank me. Really." He was quiet for a moment and Blaine tried to think of something to say. The air smelled like flowers and the music from the square drifted around them. And Kurt was so gorgeous, but his brow was furrowed and there was a slight frown on his lips. Blaine just wanted to bring a smile to his face.

"So tell me about the festival?" He said hoping to lighten the ever shifting mood. "Do people come from all around to celebrate?"

Kurt looked back at him "No, it is just for the citizens of Folaigh, we don't have... many visitors."

"Oh." Blaine said feeling uneasy. "We didn't mean to intrude."

Kurt looked at him for a long moment, eyes narrowed like he was trying to figure out a puzzle and Blaine's face held the secrets. Blaine felt his breath speed up at the intense gaze.

Finally Kurt spoke again. "Where are you from?"

"I…" Blaine blinked trying to find his voice; Kurt had such a strong effect on him. "We're from America. You probably figured that out by our accents. New York, specifically, I go to school there."

"University?" Kurt asked a little excited.

"Yes, I'm studying music. And drama."

Kurt furrowed his brows. "Drama?"

"What? You think that drama isn't a good subject?" Blaine asked trying to sound jovial, but his stomach tightening, he hoped he wasn't going to hear someone else who though his major was a waste of time.

Kurt laughed. "You're face, you were so excited, like a puppy and then it got all tense. No, I'm not saying you shouldn't study drama. I'm asking what that is. How do you study drama?"

"Oh." Blaine said feeling a little relieved. "Do you call it something else here? Theater?" Blaine explained. "I want to be an actor and a musician."

"There are schools to teach you that?" Kurt's face lit up.

Blaine tilted his head "Yes. I'm sure they have schools like that over here."

"Not here." Kurt said a little nervous. "Not in Folaigh at least, but that sounds amazing. I love to perform." Kurt smiled and bounced a little in his excitement scooting closer to Blaine.

Blaine wanted to keep that smile on Kurt's face so he told him all about his classes and New York and sharing a tiny apartment with Sam. About New York and NYADA, Kurt seemed endlessly interested in hearing about it and seemed to know very little about America or New York City. Blaine was happy to tell him about it all, how he'd first felt arriving in New York, how competitive school was, but he still loved it. How he felt at more at home in the city than he had his whole life.

"New York can be difficult, but I feel freer there than I have my whole life, like it is where I'm meant to be."

Kurt smiled, but it had a wistful quality to it. "Tell me more about Skyscrapers and the subway."

As they talked they scooted closer and closer to each other on the bench, Kurt looking lovely the more relaxed he became, his flower wreath framing his face and his easy smile making his eyes dance. Blaine asked about Kurt and found out that Kurt lived with his father who was a handy-man of sorts and who was also on the town council. Kurt helped with his dad's shop and also had a flower and vegetable garden with his friend Mercedes.

"My mom died when I was young, but my dad had this whole town to help him. I have the best father in the world." Kurt said with a proud smile. "But I feel like I was also raised by the people of Folaigh."

"I'm so sorry about your mom." Blaine said, finding that his hand was again resting on top of Kurt's and their knees were practically tangled together. "Folaigh sounds like a wonderful place though."

Kurt smiled softly and shrugged. "It's my home. It just… I've never really been anywhere and… everything you've done. Moving to New York, coming here. And the things you've seen, buildings hundreds of feet tall? Whole streets devoted to playhouses?" Kurt laughed. "My life must seem very simple to you."

Blaine watched Kurt's face as he wouldn't quite meet Blaine's eyes. "You still have your whole life ahead of you. You should come see New York."

"Mmmhmm." Kurt hummed noncommittally.

It seemed Folaigh was one of those small towns where everyone knew each other and no one really did much outside of their small community. Blaine didn't know how unusual that was here, there were small towns back in Ohio, places people lived and died and never left. It just seemed like Folaigh took it to extremes, with how old fashioned everything was and how little Kurt knew of the world outside of his little village.

It wasn't until the sun started to set and Blaine's stomach started to growl that he realized he and Kurt had spent to whole afternoon together.

"I should show you the Jones' house." Kurt said, standing and untangling himself from Blaine.

Blaine immediately missed the warmth of Kurt sitting next to him, but followed him back into town until they arrived at a road with lines of houses, Kurt stopped in front of a house that was bigger than most on the street, two story while the others were only one. He rapped on the door and a tall dark skinned woman with a kind smile answered.

"Hello Kurt!" She looked past him and when her eyes landed on Blaine her smile wavered, but it was back so fast Blaine wondered if he'd imagined it.

"Did… did Miss Sylvester speak with you?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, yes of course. This must be one of the boys from out of town?"

Blaine smiled. "My name is Blaine Anderson, nice to meet you."

She hesitated a moment, but then let them in. She showed Blaine to the room he and Sam would be sharing. "The privy is out back and there is a pump for water in the washroom."

Blaine was a little speechless. There was no electricity in the house, only lanterns and candles and it seemed like there was little inside plumbing. But the home was well kept and cozy and there was a delicious smell coming from the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Kurt do you want to stay and eat with us? I think Quinn is going to say and have dinner with Sam when they arrive."

Blaine hoped Kurt would stay, but he shook his head. "I should get back and have dinner with my dad. Tell Mercedes I said hello and I'll see her tomorrow."

"Of course dear."

Kurt waved at Blaine and smiled before leaving. Blaine watched him go kicking himself for not setting up some plans with him for the next day.

Sam got there soon with Quinn who did stay for dinner. Dinner was a little awkward, Mercedes, the woman Blaine had seen with Kurt earlier in the day joined them and she and Quinn tried to keep up the conversation, but Mr. and Mrs. Jones were quiet, and while not quite cold, something was off. Sam smiled and laughed and enjoyed the girls' attention, seemingly not noticing the tension in the air.

After dinner Quinn kissed Sam on the cheek before leaving and then it seemed everyone was getting ready for bed. Sam and Blaine were shown to their room and then left with a smile and a "good night" from Mercedes.

When the door shut behind her Sam spun around and flopped back on his bed."God, she is gorgeous isn't she?"

"Who Quinn? Very pretty. She seemed to like you." Blaine answered slipping off the flower wreath Kurt had made him and carefully looping it on the bed post. He found that his bag, which he had completely forgotten about. had been delivered to his room. Blaine sat on the bed looking at it and wondering when he'd lost track of his things and who had brought them here.

Blaine knew why he was so scatterbrained, Kurt seemed to drive all reasonable thought from his mind. Why else would he be staying in a strange town with complete strangers instead of heading back home? He shook his head and gratefully changed into his PJs as Sam talked about Quinn.

"She showed me all around town this afternoon." Sam said also pulling on his pajamas. "And gosh! Mercedes, she is pretty too. I like this town a lot." He plopped down on his bed with a smile. "I'm not a bit tired, why is everyone going to bed so early?"

"I think it is because the sun has gone down. Have you noticed they don't have electricity? Is it like that all over town?"

"I think they must be some kind of Irish Amish or something." Sam said crawling into bed. The way they dress and live, and Quinn is nice and you can tell she's smart, but I was telling her about life back in New York and a lot of it just seemed to confuse her."

"Yeah." Blaine said pulling to covers over him. "It's… different here."

"You spend time with Kurt this afternoon?" Sam asked.

Blaine smiled into the darkness of the room. "Yes."

"You like him huh?"

"He's the one that helped me last night." Blaine said instead of answering the question.

"No kidding?" Sam answered and despite the fact that he said he wasn't tired he yawned. "I think he likes you."

Blaine was still awake long after Sam started to snore. He didn't understand what kind of town they'd stumbled across, and he felt strange staying with people he didn't know and not even paying them for room and board. At the same time though, he could ignore all that if staying here meant a chance to spend more time with Kurt. He fell asleep with his skin tingling and his heart happy.


	5. Chapter 5

Blaine blinked open his eyes as the sun streamed through the window and warmed his face. He stretched on the bed as his brain caught up to where he was; staying in a remote and unheard of village in Ireland in an Inn that didn't want his money. Thinking about it like that made it seem like the beginning of a horror movie. And he had to admit it was strange, but he was young and adventurous and didn't really believe he was in a town of ax-murders. Plus, this would all make a great story later.

And there was Kurt.

Blaine smiled at the thought of him. He hadn't figured Kurt out yet, he seemed so confident and yet sometimes so reserved, it just made Blaine want to get to know him better. He rolled out of bed and dug through his neatly packed bag. He was going to need to find a way to do some laundry soon. He pulled on a pair of maroon pants, a striped black and white polo and a pair of dockers, knowing he was going to stand out like a sore thumb in his modern looking clothing.

Sam was still snoring in his bed so after Blaine got ready he nudged Sam awake.

"Hmm? What?" Sam said sitting up in bed. "What's happening?" He always woke up a little groggy.

"Morning Sam."

Sam looked around the room and then nodded as if he was remembering where they were. "I thought maybe this place had been a dream, but it's real."

"It does feel dream like here." Blaine agreed with a smile and then turned as someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Sam called. The door opened and Mercedes' head poked around the corner. She looked like she must have been awake for a while, her eyes bright, curly hair framing her face and a kind smile.

"Good morning." She said. "I was told to let you know that breakfast is ready downstairs if you're hungry."

She glanced at Sam who was sitting up in bed with nothing but his boxers on and then looked away as her smile grew.

"Thank you." Blaine said. "We'll be down soon."

After she left Sam hopped out of bed and got dressed. "She is so pretty." He said. "This town has a lot of cute girls. I wonder if she has a boyfriend."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Slow down, we aren't staying long."

"Whatever Casanova, I saw how you were dancing with that Kurt guy yesterday."

Blaine blushed and cleared his throat. Sam was right; he didn't have a leg to stand on. They went downstairs to find a breakfast of oatmeal with honey, some fried potatoes and sausage. It was all very tasty, but Mr. and Mrs. Jones seemed wary of them the whole time making Blaine feel like they were intruding. Mercedes on the other hand sat down and talked with them, she was nothing but friendly and open.

"You know Kurt right?" Mercedes said to Blaine and his nodded, his mouth full. "He is like a brother to me." Blaine hoped he imagined her threatening glare, "We are working the flower cart this month for the festival."

"Yeah I saw it, it's lovely." Blaine said swallowing as he remembered the flower wreath Kurt had made him that was upstairs on the bedpost right now. Blaine wished he had a book or something to press it in. He wanted to keep it.

"And how exactly do you know Kurt?"

"Kurt actually helped me out the other night when I feel down a hill and bumped my head."

Mercedes lifted her eyebrows. "Oh did he? He never mentioned that to me."

"I'd love to see your flower cart." Sam said smiling brightly and Blaine was happy for the change of subject, he wasn't imagining Mercedes threatening glare now.

"I think I could arrange that." Mercedes' face softened and she winked at Sam and his smile grew broader.

"First though, what can we do to help around here?" Blaine asked, but when Mercedes just looked confused he continued, "To help pay for letting us stay here?"

"Oh that. Don't worry about it. We haven't had guest in our inn for… well for a long time. It's just nice to have you here."

"Wow. Thanks!" Sam said, but Blaine felt uneasy.

"I… don't know… are you sure there's nothing we can do?"

Mercedes thought for a moment before shrugging. "I'll let you know."

After breakfast Mercedes was heading out to the flower cart and both Blaine and Sam asked if they could join her. Blaine tried to ignore the funny looks they got on their way. People stopped to just stare and many of them whispered behind their hands as they passed. Mercedes shoot a few young children who were gawking at them a look and they yelped and scampered away.

"People don't like us being here do they?" Blaine asked.

"Well… like I said we don't get many… outsiders."

"Outsiders." Blaine repeated thinking it was an odd word choice.

Sam was all flirty smiles and high energy, the stares of the towns' people not bothering him. "I'm glad we stumbled across Folaigh. I'm beginning to really like it here."

Mercedes just smiled at him as they approached the flower cart Kurt had shown Blaine yesterday. Kurt was already there, looking amazing in tan trousers that fit him perfectly, a dark vest and a blue shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. It looked like he'd spent extra time on his appearance and though Blaine would have thought him beautiful no matter what, he hoped maybe Kurt had gotten ready with him in mind.

"Mornin' Kurt." Mercedes said. "These gentlemen wanted to come along. I hope you don't mind."

Kurt smiled and his eyes met Blaine's before he looked down again. "I was going to go get some more flowers from the garden actually. Keep us stocked before it gets busy again. " Kurt said as he looked back up at Blaine. "Maybe you'd like to join me?"

Blaine's heart leapt. "Yes! I mean… yes. I'd be happy to help."

Sam gave Blaine a knowing look, which he ignored, as Kurt grabbed two baskets from under the cart and Blaine followed him away from the square.

Kurt seemed less shy today, pointing things out in the town and giving Blaine a tour as they walked together. A cobbler's shop, a bakery, a butcher and other shops that looked to be independently owned and operated, they passed a little white steepled church that looked like something off a postcard, a small school with a red door, and then as they got to the residential area, a bunch a cottages that were both old-fashoined and picturesque.

The day was warm, but not too hot and the sky was blue and Blaine couldn't help feel elated at spending time with this handsome and fascinating young man. It was a good start to the day. They arrived at a little cottage on the outskirts of the town. It was small but very well kept, green curtains in the windows, bright flowers growing in boxes outside of them, a fresh coat of paint on the fence around it and what looked like a newly thatched roof.

"It this where you live?"

"Yes, with my dad. The garden's in the back." Kurt opened the little wooded gate and lead Blaine behind the house. Kurt's backyard hosted a large garden divided into sections. Part a vegetable garden and part a flower garden.

"We are going to need more Pheasant's-eye and blue daisies." Kurt said smiling as he glanced at Blaine and handed him a basket. "You could get the Pheasant's-eye."

Blaine looked down at the empty basket and then back and Kurt, he must have looked as bemused as he felt because Kurt broke out in a laugh that made Blaine's heart swell.

"Do you know what a Pheasant's-eye is?"

"Um… a flower?" Blaine said and Kurt grinned.

"Very good." He winked and Blaine felt a little weak kneed.

"I'll show you." Kurt led him through the garden as bees and butterflies flitted around them. "This is Orange Foxtail and those over there are the Blue Daisies. We have some Buttercup too, like the ones I used for your flower wreath, but I don't think we need them today. The little white ones are Bell Heather, some of my favorites. And this is Pheasant's-eye." Kurt said pointing to a red and black flower. "People like them in bouquets. The men buy them for their sweethearts because they smell so nice."

"How do you know so much about gardening?" Blaine asked as he knelt down and Kurt handed him a pair of shears and he started filling his basket with the bright red flowers.

"Well Folaigh is self-reliant. We don't do business outside of town so a lot of us keep vegetable gardens for food. The flowers though, that was my mom. She loved to garden."

Blaine noticed Kurt's smile soften as he talked about his mother and wanted to ask what had happened to her, but also didn't want to press. He changed the subject instead. "Mercedes said something about the festival lasting a month? Is that right?"

Kurt looked up his eyes dancing. "Yes. Most of the time it only last a week, but this year it is the Centennial. So we are celebrating for a whole month. There are little things going on throughout the day, but in the evenings are the main attraction, there is a different event every night. Tonight we are having a big dinner together, everyone in town. Tables and benches will be set up in the square. And the food is delicious." He looked down at his full basket. "Do you… do you think you'll still be around this evening?"

Blaine was more than eager to stay in Folaigh a little longer. Something was urging him to stay. Something like his growing attraction to Kurt. "I don't know." He said. "I mean we don't want to intrude."

Kurt looked up. "Oh you wouldn't be. You could… you could sit with me and my dad at dinner. If you wanted."

"I'd really like that." He didn't care if this wasn't the plan. They could always use their plane tickets later to get back home. Blaine wanted to spend as much time with Kurt as he could.

Kurt stood brushing off his knees. "I think that should be all we need for now. We should get some more Crane's-Bill this afternoon. It grows in the meadow." He stopped and looked at Blaine for a moment before grinning. "I've been meaning to tell you how nice you look today. I like the clothes. I haven't really seen anything like them before"

Blaine chuckled and looked down at his pretty tame outfit; it was just slacks and a polo. "Um... thanks. Really though Sam and I are running low in the clothes department, I need to wash my stuff."

Kurt bit his lip and Blaine couldn't look away from his face.

"I can help with that. I could also help you pick out some new clothes, if you wanted. I mean… not that yours aren't nice, but..." He looked away.

"But what?"

"I'd love to get you in a waistcoat." He said walking up to Blaine and softly touching the collar of Blaine's shirt. "Maybe something green, it'd look amazing with your eyes."

Blaine let out a slow breath as Kurt stood close to him, they locked eyes for a moment and Blaine was tempted to lean forward for a kiss. The moment passed though and Kurt stepped back clearing his throat.

"I mean… if you wanted."

"I'd love that. You could help me pick something out? I don't really know much about the fashion here." Honestly Blaine thought he could probably figure it out on his own if needed, but he had notice how impeccably dressed Kurt always was. Besides it would give him an excuse to spend more time with him.

"I could do that. Knowing what looks good on people is a specialty of mine." He said bouncing on his toes a little with a wide smile.

"You seem to be good at a lot of things." Blaine said and Kurt laughed even has his cheeks blushed, his musical voice ringing and making Blaine's skin tingle. God, he was falling hard.

Kurt had felt giddy all day. He kept telling himself it was because of the festival and not because of Blaine. He was only spending time with Blaine because Sue had ordered him too, but as he showed Blaine his garden and spent the day with him he kept getting caught off guard by Blaine's unarming smile, or kind eyes, or gorgeous laugh. Kurt had to admit to himself that he was quickly growing sweet on Blaine. He knew that couldn't end well, but he indulged himself anyway. It was more than the fact that Kurt had never know an outsider before Blaine was just… hard to resist.

After they'd gotten what they needed from the garden Kurt led them back to the cart where Sam and Mercedes were already trading flowers for other objects, ribbons, food items, candles and other useful things. They didn't use money here in Folaigh so the trading system was normal to him. He wondered if Blaine thought it was odd though.

"Why are we so busy?" Kurt said coming up to help Mercedes and looking at the line of people wanting flowers, he didn't expect a rush until that evening. Mercedes glanced at Sam and Blaine.

"I think people are curious about our guest." She said

Kurt nodded. "Ah. That makes sense." He looked at Blaine and smiled.

Blaine for his part just stayed near Kurt being as helpful as possible as Kurt continued to teach him the different flower names. They all worked at the cart until lunch time when Quinn strolled up to them with a picnic basket on her arm.

"Hello… everyone." She said eyeing Mercedes and then smiling at Sam and moving to stand between him and Mercedes. "Hello Sam." She held up a picnic basket. "I brought lunch. Enough for us all if you want to join me. We could go to the meadow." She smiled sweetly. Kurt couldn't help but think she was laying it on a little thick, but Sam seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Kurt looked at Blaine his heart skipping a little. "Do you want to go?"

Blaine readily agreed and they all closed down the cart to go have lunch, all except Mercedes who said she was busy and walked off briskly with her head in the air. Kurt watched after her feeling bad, he could tell when Mercedes was upset, but he didn't want to leave Blaine with Quinn. He might be working for Sue too, but he trusted himself more than he trusted Quinn. He would just have to make it up to Mercedes later.

Quinn led them all out of town to the meadow; pass the tree where Kurt had made Blaine the wreath yesterday. This was a good chance to pick some of the wild flowers that grew here anyway. Quinn spread out a blanket all the while talking cheerfully and complimenting Sam endlessly. Blaine smiled good-naturedly and added to the conversation when he could. They all sat down and Quinn started passing out the food. Cold chicken and buttered vegetables, and bread. After they ate Quinn bounced up and grabbed the basket Kurt had brought and the empty picnic basket.

"Sam would you like to go collect flowers for me. Kurt needs some for his cart."

"I can do that Quinn." Kurt said wondering what Quinn was up to.

"Of course, but I'd like the chance to stretch my legs." She reached for Sam's hand pulling him to his feet, leaving Blaine and Kurt behind as they wandered off.

"Quinn is nice." Blaine said. "Very friendly."

"Uh huh. Something like that." Kurt said watching Sam and Quinn from a distance. He liked Quinn, they'd know each other since childhood, but he knew she had to be spending time with Sam under Sue's instructions, there was no way her parents would allow it otherwise. Of course, the same could be said about Kurt.

Kurt broke himself from his thoughts and turned back to Blaine who seemed to be watching him intently. Blaine smiled and turned his head away when he was caught staring, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Kurt really wanted to like Blaine, he did like Blaine, but he had to remember that Blaine was an outsider and that was dangerous. It probably would have been better if Sue just let Blaine and Sam leave town.

"What money did you steal?" Kurt asked suddenly wanting at least to clear that up.

Blaine looked back at him with wide eyes. "I didn't steal any money." He said quickly. "I haven't even seen anyone use money since I arrived here."

"No. The night you fell down the hill. You apologized for taking someone's money." Kurt looked down tracing the patches of the quilt he was sitting on with his fingertip. "You aren't some kind of thief or… or confidenceman are you?"

Blaine shook his head adamantly. "No! No. I'm not. I promise. Sam and I we just…" He sighed and Kurt looked up again."We bet some money and lost. We were going to pay it though, until we found out someone had pick-pocketed us and we had nothing to pay with. We should have stayed and tried to work things out, but I guess we just panicked and ran off. It was dumb. That's how we ended up in the forest and I feel down that hill."

Kurt felt relieved. Of course Blaine could be lying, but Kurt didn't feel like he was. "You don't make a habit of stealing from people then?" Kurt said holding back a smile.

"No. No never. Please believe me." Blaine face was so earnest and his voice shook.

Kurt couldn't hold back his smile any longer, he watched as Blaine's face relaxed.

"You believe me." Blaine said with a relieved smile.

"I do. You don't seem like the thieving type."

Blaine scooted a little closer to Kurt on the blanket, "What were you doing out here that night?" Blaine asked and Kurt wondered if Blaine realized how close they were sitting to each other. It was like they were unconsciously drawn to one another.

"I was going to do some stargazing." Kurt answered lying back on the blanket, Blaine hesitated for a moment before following suite stretching out next to him."This is the perfect place to see the stars. I like to pick out constellations." Kurt said looking up at the clouds.

"I don't really know much about all that." Blaine said turning his face to look at Kurt. Kurt turned his head too and his breath caught in his throat as how close their faces were to each other.

"Maybe if you stay long enough I'll show you sometime." Kurt said breathlessly.

A bright smile slowly spread over Blaine's face and his eyes seemed to sparkle as Kurt's heart skipped a beat. He shouldn't let himself feel this way about Blaine, but his heart wouldn't be reined in. They stayed laid out on the blanket talking until Quinn and Sam got back with their baskets of flowers. They gathered everything up and went back to town.

"I'm going to go wash up before this evening." Kurt said. "Find my dad and me later at dinner?"

"Of course." Blaine said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and then followed Sam down the road towards the Jones'.

"Kurt, I know Sue wants us to keep an eye on them," Quinn said once Blaine and Sam were out of earshot. "But hold back a little won't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean you don't have to act completely smitten all the time."

Kurt blushed. He wasn't acting smitten all the time! He just… oh god, he really was smitten and he hated that Quinn had noticed anything.

"You're one to talk, flirting with Sam all afternoon."

Quinn shrugged, "That's different, I get the impression that Sam flirts with anything pretty that smile at him. Blaine though… just be careful, we want to keep an eye on them and then they need to leave."

"I know."

"Then don't make him want to stay."

Quinn started walking away before Kurt could come up with a reply. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, Quinn was right; he needed to restrain himself a little. If not for Blaine's sake, for his own because he was falling and falling fast.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: So this is a short chapter, sorry about that, we learn a little more about Folaigh here though and meet some new characters. I hope you continue to enjoy the story, it has been very cathartic for me during a stressful time in my life. Leave a comment if you feel like it, they make me happy!

Blaine changed to something a little nicer for dinner that evening. He wished he had a chance to go shopping with Kurt beforehand so he'd look less like someone who didn't belong. As it was he felt good in his button up shirt, maroon sweater with dark slacks and a yellow bowtie, even if his hair was a little messier than normal because he'd run out of hair gel… or more like verging on unruly curls. Still he hoped Kurt could tell he'd tried to look nice.

He walked to the town square with the Jones' and Sam. Mercedes was talking and laughing with Sam while her parents hung back, polite, but still not interacting with Blaine or Sam much. When they got to the square Blaine stopped to take it all in. Long wooden tables were set up and bright lanterns hanging across wires like big, yellow Christmas lights that illuminated the area giving the whole square a warm and enchanting appearance. People milled about laughing and already some of them were munching on food. It was wonderful. Finally his eyes landed on Kurt sitting with a middle-aged man and talking to the couple across from them.

Blaine smiled, his heart flipping a little bit at the sight of Kurt; he hadn't felt this way about a guy in a long time. In fact he wasn't sure he'd  _ever_  felt this way about someone so fast. Trying to calm his beating heart, he started over to where Kurt was sitting, but he was stopped by someone walking straight up to him and standing in his path.

"Oh… um, excuse me." Blaine said almost running into them, he looked up to see a tall, broad shouldered young man. He crossed his arms and scowled down at Blaine, his chin jutting forward.

"You don't belong here." The man said.

Blaine was stunned for a moment before speaking. "I… was invited."

The man uncrossed his thick arms letting them down by his side, but his fists were balled like he was looking for a fight. Blaine braced himself, boxing moves he'd learned back in school flashing in his mind. He didn't want a fight, but he was prepared to defend himself, because this stranger looked ready to take a swing at him.

"You  _weren't_  invited." The man snarled. "You just walked into town one day." His jaw clenched and his pupils were contracting in anger.

"I mean I was invited to dinner... I was asked to come this evening." Blaine tried to explain. Before he could say anything else they were interrupted by a voice that Blaine instantly recognized.

" _I_  invited him." Kurt said tugging on the man's arm to pull him away from Blaine. "I asked him to have dinner with me and dad."

The man turned to Kurt and Blaine leaned forward ready to act if he decided to lash out at Kurt. Instead the man's expression softened, and his fists loosened. "You invited an outsider to our celebration?"

"Yes Dave. I asked him to dinner." Kurt said his voice steady and his expression cool.

"You shouldn't have." Dave said almost sounding hurt.

"You can take that up with the town council then." Kurt strode past him and stood next to Blaine.

Dave took one last look at Blaine before shaking his head angrily and storming off. Kurt walked reached down and laced his fingers together with Blaine's. It was only then that Blaine realized his own fists were curled and he was standing on the balls of his feet ready to spring into action if needed.

"Were you going to punch him?" Kurt asked lifting an eyebrow as he rubbed a thumb across Blaine's hand.

"No. Well, only if I had too."

"Oh." Kurt's expression fell, his eyes looking troubled.

"I don't like to fight." Blaine tried to explain. "But I've had to learn to… protect myself and if he'd turned on you then…"

"I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can, it was just instinct."

Kurt nodded, looking calmer as he smiled a little. "Dave is harmless, don't worry about him." He looked towards the table he'd come from, it was filling up with more people, mostly young people around Blaine's age. "Come met my father."

He turned back to smile at Blaine and tugged on both of his hands to pull him along. Blaine followed him over to the table where a man stood and held out a hand for Blaine to shake. Blaine could see the resemblance between him and Kurt, in the eyes and the curve of the mouth.

"I'm Burt Hummel." He said in a cool tone, "Kurt's Father."

"Blaine Anderson." He said shaking the man's hand. "Pleased to meet you."

Burt nodded stiffly and Blaine was beginning to wonder if it was only Kurt, Mercedes and Quinn that were alright with them being in town.

Burt was quiet for most of the meal, as Kurt and Blaine talked to those around them. Blaine found that the younger people, those around Blaine's age, seemed more eager to talk to him, to pepper him with question about where he was from mostly, while the older generation eyed him with distrust. The evening was nice though, everyone brought food to share, passing around platters of roast chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy and bread and pies and all kinds of vegetables.

There was a small group of musicians playing off to the side and as the sky grew darker fireflies started fluttering around. There was an intangible quality to the air that made Blaine relax, even after his almost confrontation with Dave.

The best part was he got to spend more time with Kurt.

Even though he'd spent most of the last day and a half with him they still weren't running out of things to talk about, being with Kurt felt easy and right and warm and happy. Blaine almost thought his skin seemed to hum when he was near Kurt. Blaine loved to watch his smile and how he talked with his hands and laughed easily surrounded by his friends.

At one point Kurt excused himself to go visit Mercedes and Burt took to opportunity to lean forward and talk with Blaine. He had his arms folded on the table as he looked Blaine straight in the eyes.

"You're American." He said and it didn't seem like a question.

"Yes sir. From New York."

Burt nodded. "I always wanted to visit America, I've seen pictures of New York. My wife's family was from America."

Blaine smiled, it seemed like Burt was at least trying to be friendly. "Really? So Kurt has family back in the states?"

Burt shrugged, "Never knew them." Burt said shortly. "How do you like New York?"

"I… I love it there. The people and the energy. I go to school there and hope to call it home permanently after I graduate."

"Kurt says you're a performer?"

"Yes sir, I sing and act."

"Uh huh…" He narrowed his eyes searching Blaine face for a long moment. Blaine licked his lips and tried to keep a steady gaze. Finally Burt sat back in his chair a little, and while he didn't actually smile his eyes seemed lighter. "Kurt sings. Has an amazing voice. Got it from his mother."

Blaine did smiled, feeling as if he may have just passed some kind of test. Kurt came back with Mercedes and Sam in tow. They enjoyed the rest of the evening listening to the music and enjoying each other's company. At one point Kurt leaned into Blaine's side a little and grabbed his hand as they watched the musicians. Blaine just tried to sit perfectly still, Kurt's shoulder pressed against his own, he didn't want to move and break the perfect moment.

Eventually the gathering broke apart and Blaine offered to help Kurt and some others clean up. Once the square was cleared he said goodnight to Kurt with a yawn, squeezing his hand before reluctantly heading back to the inn.

When Sam and Blaine got back to their room Sam bounced around and looked at Blaine expectantly. "How about we stay a few more days?"

Blaine brushed his fingers against the flower wreath still on his bed post, the flowers bright and soft, leaving him with a slight tingle in his fingertips and a warm energy vibrating through him.

"Okay." He looked at Sam and smiled. "Let's do that."

* * *

Burt left the dinner earlier than Kurt who stayed to spend more time with his friends and with Blaine. Finally everything started winding down and Kurt stayed to help clean up, to his delight Blaine insisted on helping with the breakdown as well. Why did he get more excited about every moment with Blaine the longer he knew him?

Afterwards Kurt walked home tired and happy, he caught himself smiling every time he thought about Blaine. He was kind and gentlemanly and nothing like what Kurt had been taught outsiders were. Every time Blaine smiled Kurt's heart would do a little flutter, he was  _trying_  to ignore it, Blaine was an outsider and he would be gone soon enough. Kurt needed to make sure he kept his emotions in check.

He sighed when he thought about Dave' reaction to Blaine, he didn't blame Dave for not trusting an outsider, but Kurt knew it was more than that. Dave had always been sweet on him and he must see Blaine as a threat. Was Kurt that obvious with his feelings? He looked down at his empty hand, the hand that kept reaching out for Blaine's without Kurt even thinking it through. Having Blaine's hand in his own made him feel safe and warm and… and Kurt needed to change his train of thought.

He pushed open his front door and followed the sound of voices to the kitchen. His dad was sitting around the table with the other members of the town council; none of them seemed to have noticed Kurt yet.

"I'm sorry Sue, but I disagree." Judy Frabray said, her voice sounding a little shrill. "I don't care what information we might find out about the outside world, how is it worth the risk of having them here?"

Kurt took a step back standing behind the entryway where he could still see the group gathered, but hopefully they wouldn't see him.

"I don't know why we need to know  _anything_  about their world at all." Another council member added. "We aren't part of that world for a reason."

"We should get rid of them! Drive them out of town!"

Several others at the table agreed. Kurt's heart tightened in his chest.

"That's what we did before." Russel Fabray added. "I don't think we've ever regretted keeping our town safe from those who could destroy what we have here."

Kurt worried his bottom lip, he didn't know much about the other time outsiders had come to Folaigh. He'd been eleven years old and they were gone before they caused any real trouble. Kurt hadn't even had a chance to see them.

Sue held up her hands to try and silence the group. "One hundred years have passed since the miracle began in Folaigh, you aren't at all interested in the progress the world has made?"

"What progress, people don't get better they get worse." Judy said bitterly

"Now I'm not sure that is always the case." Burt spoke up and Kurt smiled. "People can grow and learn."

"Oh yes, it was our hope that the world would  _grow_  and  _learn_  that made us separate ourselves from it so thoroughly" Kurt didn't catch who said that, but the sarcasm was clear.

"I don't care about the idiots running wild outside of Folaigh." Sue spoke up and everyone stopped to look at her. "This isn't about seeing if the word has redeemed itself, I doubt it has and I don't care either way. When I say progress I mean what about medicines or machinery? Didn't your bother in Belfast have electric lights in his house Judy?" Sue said staring her down. "We left before that reached our little town. We could use that kind of thing here. I'm thinking about progress for Folaigh."

Everyone was silent for a moment and Kurt found he'd been holding his breath. He wasn't interested in electric lights, or the fear of outsiders, or any arguments right now, he just really didn't want his town to run Blaine and Sam off.

"No." It was Emma Pillsbury who spoke up this time; she'd been silent so far. Emma was a school teacher, in charge of the younger children at the one school they had in town. "You know I am for progress and learning and giving our children the best. But who cares about electric lights? Or new fangled modern things? We have always been fine without them we will continue to be fine."

She leaned forward her large eyes earnest and her voice strong. "We have to get these men, these  _outsiders_ , out of town before they corrupt our children or find out about The Miracle. I cannot believe that Sue would invite them to stay without consulting us first." She leaned back in her chair her eyes a little wet and her breathing heavy as if she was trying not to cry.

"I agree." Russell's voice was angry and strong. "If we can't make them leave then we need to imprison them! They are not welcome here. Have you forgotten why we used our magic to hide Folaigh in the first place? This is not worth the risk!" He pounded a fist on the table making Kurt jump.

Kurt's heart was pounding in his chest, he understood why Emma was so passionate, she wanted what was best for her town, but they were wrong. This was more than Kurt wanting Blaine around, Folaigh had lived in the shadows too long. Kurt wanted to know about the world and he couldn't be the only one to feel that way, he knew he wasn't if his friends fascination with Blaine and Sam at dinner had been any indication.

"Outsiders are evil." Russell continued to growl. "Drive them out!"

Several other people echoed his words the tension in the room rising. They were starting to look less like a council and more like an angry mob.

"I don't care what we have to do to them to get rid of them, but they don't belong here!" Someone shouted and that was when Kurt rushed into the room.

"No!" He said firmly and everyone turned in surprise to look at him. Kurt felt a little ill with nerves, but he kept his voice steady. "What are you saying? Do you even hear yourself? You sound intolerant and vengeful and... and  _violent_  . Aren't those the very things Folaigh is against?" Kurt was breathing quickly his heart in his throat, he caught his father's eyes, Burt smiled at him and nodded for him to continue.

"Have any of you even taken the time to  _meet_  these men you are calling evil? Blaine likes to sing and he is sweet and polite and… and Sam is funny and lively and they are just  _people_. You've always made us believe outsiders were monsters, but they aren't."

"What about what happened to your mother?" Mrs. Jones asked softly, she been silent this whole time.

Kurt swallowed and had to catch his breath, her words cutting him like a knife. "Not all of them are evil. These two, Sam and Blaine, they aren't bad people. If we are against them for no reason then we aren't we the ones acting like outsiders?"

The room grew silent.

"We can learn from them. I know very little about the word outside Folaigh, I don't see why learning from them is wrong." Kurt's hands were shaking but his voice was growing in strength.

Emma shook he head, "I just don't know if it is worth the risk."

"But they  _aren't_  a risk. What have they done since they got here? Helped with the flower cart? Danced? Tried to get to know people? Helped clean up tonight? I'm telling you they aren't that different than us."

"I say we give them more time here." Sue said. "It would be good for us and if they show any signs of danger we make them leave."

There was silence around the table for a moment before Emma looked down to her lap. "I… I guess if they aren't showing any signs of trouble…"

Russel Fabray let out a humorless laugh. "We should wait until they do cause trouble then? Wait until it is too late?"

His wife reached over a put a hand over his, "We could handle two outsiders if it came to it. I just don't know why we would trouble ourselves with them at all."

Sue looked around the table, making eye contact with each person, and filling the room with am aura of calmness. "I saw we vote on it." They all knew what she was doing, but just because she was calming them down they still all had their own minds.

"I agree, we should vote." Burt said. "And I want you all to know I am for letting the boys stay. They aren't doing any harm and they will bore eventually and leave without any suspicions. If we drive them out it will only make them talk about us. Two young men spreading stories about a strange village that ran them out in anger isn't a tale we want floating around."

Several people nodded in agreement and everyone agreed to a vote.

"You have to leave for the vote Porcelain." Sue said, "You aren't part of the council."

Kurt gave his dad a hopeful glance, but he sided with Sue. Kurt sighed and walked back to his room to wait nervously. He kept his hands folded on his lap and tried to stay quiet so he could hear what was happening, but the only thing he eventually heard was everyone leaving. His dad came to his room and sat down on his bed next to him.

"You were very passionate with your opinion back there."

"Folaigh was founded by people who were considered outsiders, people who didn't fit. We have always striven to accept each other for who we are." He looked up at his dad. "That's how you raised me."

Burt smiled. "We voted to let them stay,  _for now_."

Kurt felt the tightness in his chest start to loosen in relief; he ungripped his hands and stretched his fingers realizing he'd been holding them too tensely.

"I know you're curious about the outside world Kurt." Burt continued. "Learn as much about it as you can while they are here. 'Wisdom is what makes a poor man a king" He smiled quoting an old proverb, "but you know you can't leave Folaigh."

"Of course I know." Kurt said quietly. "I wasn't considering it. I'm just interested… in things I've never known before, but Folaigh is my home. I understand that and I'm happy here." Kurt ignored the twist of pain those words brought,  _was_  he happy here?

"Good." Burt nodded and placed a kiss to Kurt's hair. He wasn't an overly affectionate man, but he tried and these little gestures always made Kurt smile.

"Goodnight dad." Kurt said as Burt got up and crossed the room.

"Good night Kurt, and just… be careful okay?

"Be careful?"

"With your heart." Burt said as he left them room. "Blaine can't stay forever."

Kurt stared after him for a moment before he fell back on the bed and covered his face with his hands. He understood what his dad was saying, about not leaving Folaigh, and about guarding his heart. He was just afraid that his dad's warning on that front may be a little late. Kurt groaned as he ran his hand through his hair, what did he just fight the council for? Was he right about letting them stay? How would spending more time with a boy he wanted, but could never have help anything?

Kurt went to sleep that night afraid he'd made a terrible mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

Blaine woke up the next day excited and ready to see Kurt. They hadn't made any plans for the day even after having dinner together last night, so Blaine was just going to have to go find him. There was a little voice in the back of his head pestering him that it was probably time to head home, that he shouldn't overstay his welcome, that Cooper was expecting a call about when he could go out to California to visit.

The little voice pestered and he ignored it.

Instead he got dressed and rushed downstairs before Sam was even awake. He thought he was up before anyone but he found Mercedes in the kitchen working on breakfast.

"Can I help with that?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Alright," she nodded towards the pantry. "Want to start peeling some potatoes?"

Blaine grabbed the potatoes and sat at the table and started to peel. "That dinner last night was amazing." Blaine said in way of making conversation.

"Everyone always brings their best dishes. We secretly all want everyone to like ours the most."

Blaine laughed, "Your pie was my favorite."

"I know you're just saying that to get on my good side." She winked at him and came to the table with a couple cups of tea and placing one in front of Blaine as she started chopping the potatoes he peeled.

"No. It really was delicious."

"Mmm hmmm. And you aren't trying to butter me up because Kurt is my dear friend and you want me to put in a good word for you?"

Blaine could feel his cheeks heating up. "That isn't what I'm doing I swear." He paused from peeling to take a sip of tea to cover the smile he couldn't keep off his face.

"You're not pining over Kurt then?"

Blaine coughed on his tea and placed the cup back on the table. "No."

Mercedes lifted her eyebrows in question.

"I mean maybe…not pining, but I do like him. He's just… I've never met anyone like him before."

Mercedes laughed this time. "Oh you have no idea."

"What does that mean?" Blaine said with a smile as he started to peel the last potato.

Instead of answering she just smiled back, "I know he hasn't met anyone like you before, everyone I know I grew up knowing, Kurt is the same way."

Blaine nodded. "I did notice that Folaigh seems to be… very…" He wasn't sure how to finish the sentence without saying something that Mercedes might take offence to.

"Isolated from the rest of the world?" Mercedes said plainly.

"Well, yes."

"You aren't wrong."

"Why… is that exactly?" Blaine asked trying to think of a delicate way to find out if Folaigh was some kind of commune or religious group or something.

"We're just…. a town of like-minded people." She answered. "Here help me fry these up." She said effectively changing the subject before Blaine had a chance to ask what they were all "like-minded" about.

"So tell me about Sam." Mercedes said as got up from the table and tossed the chopped potatoes into a frying pan.

"Does he have a girl back home?"

"No, not really."

"Does he have lots of girls back home?"

"Sam is a good guy." Blaine said avoiding the question. "He had a long time girlfriend, but when they broke up he found he liked playing the field."

"Playing the field?"

"Dating around?" Blaine said and when Mercedes still looked confused he tried again.

"Yes, he goes out with a lot of girls."

"Oh. Well, I could have guessed that the way he has been flirting with both me and Quinn. That's okay." She smiled brightly "He's fun and easy on the eyes, I don't mind competing with Quinn while Sam is here. Quinn doesn't have a chance." She looked up at Blaine with a wink.

"I certainly wouldn't want to be up against you."

"You wouldn't have a chance either." She laughed.

Sam came down a little later looking sleep rumpled, but happy. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were already out for the day so breakfast was a much lighter affair than the previous meals with the Jones' had been. Mercedes had the boys help her clean up and then asked them to run a few errands with her.

"I need to get a bunch of stuff for the performance the children are putting on tomorrow evening for the festival. You two." She pointed. "Can carry my things." She flashed them a bright smile and they agreed to help.

Blaine enjoyed spending time with Mercedes and helping her find the things she needed for the children's play. He couldn't help keeping an eye out for Kurt though, hoping he run into him somewhere in town. He also noticed that the people of Folaigh hadn't stopped giving them funny looks; he was getting better at ignoring it though.

They passed a little restaurant while shopping, it had a porch where you could eat in the nice weather and if the smell wafting out the doors was any indication the food was delicious. Blaine was struck by the sudden desire to take Kurt here. Though Kurt had undoubtedly been to the restaurant before it would be a chance to spend more time with him, it could be… a date, if Kurt wanted it to be. Blaine smiled in excitement.

They were heading to the school to drop off their supplies and Mercedes was asking if they like to help her finish painting some of the backdrops. Sam readily agreed but Blaine excused himself.

"Fine fine." She said with a wave of her hand. "Go find your boy."

Blaine smiled in gratitude and hurried out. He checked Kurt's flowers cart first since it was nearby, but the tarp was over it and Kurt wasn't around. He followed the road down to Kurt's house and stood outside for a moment before getting up the nerve to knock on the smooth wooden door, a little nervous about what he'd say if Mr. Hummel answered. No one answered, so he went around to the side of the house but couldn't see anyone out in the garden either.

He let out a sigh feeling silly at how disappointed he was to not find Kurt and he started to walk back to the square, hoping he could at least enjoy some people watching, and wait for Kurt to show up at his cart. His heart started to pick up speed and his skin started to tingle a little, he slowed his steps and shivered not knowing what was going on. He looked down at his tingling hands when someone broke him from his thoughts by running smack into him.

There was an "oof" and a thud and Blaine looked down to see he had knocked Kurt right off of his feet.

"Kurt!" Blaine knelt down to help him. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you, I wasn't paying attention." He held out a hand for Kurt, but Kurt just looked at it for a moment and then got to his feet on his own.

"I wasn't paying attention either." Kurt said. "It's alright."

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked standing as Kurt brushed off his clothes.

"I am." Kurt dusted off his pants and didn't meet Blaine's eyes

"I was looking for you actually. Do you… need help with your flower cart or anything today?"

"No. Thank you." Kurt said glancing at Blaine briefly before looking away again.

"Um… well then." He took a deep breath excited about his idea. "Would you maybe like to get lunch with me? We could go to that little restaurant in the square. I passed it earlier and it smelled delicious and I thought we-"

"No." Kurt said firmly finally looking up at him. "I mean… you probably shouldn't go there."

Blaine bunched his eyebrows together looking at Kurt and trying to read his strange mood. Kurt brushed hair from his forehead and looked past Blaine instead of looking at him.

"Is the restaurant not any good?" Blaine asked trying to draw Kurt out.

Kurt chewed on his lip a little before sighing. "The Figgins family owns The Béile and Mr. Figgins is very… he doesn't…" Kurt looked at him briefly. "He doesn't like outsiders. I mean it is more than that, he really doesn't like them and… You'd probably scare him. He uh, might chase you out with a crucifix or something."

"Oh." Something tight turned in Blaine's stomach at the thought of someone, even a stranger, being that adverse to his presence. "Oh." Blaine repeated not really knowing what else to say and wondering if it was just his status as out outsider that this Mr. Figgins would disapprove of or if there was something else going on.

"He and his wife are good people but…"

"That's okay. We could…" Blaine was racking his brain for ideas to keep Kurt from unexplainably pulling away. "We could go to lunch in town!" Blaine said struck by inspiration and remembering a little diner near the hotel he'd been staying in.

"In town?" Kurt said tilting his head in confusion. "There isn't anywhere else really."

"No. Not in Folaigh." Blaine explained. "I saw this place I wanted to try and we could go together maybe? I have money left from my brother, and…" Blaine stopped talking as he watched Kurt's face. It had gone from confused to terrified in a matter of moments, the color draining from it and his eyes wide.

"No. No." Kurt said shaking his head. "I… I don't want to. Actually I think I'm too busy today to really do anything with you." He said backing away towards his house. "I'm sorry Blaine."

Blaine watched him go, his stomach dropping; he'd done something wrong he just didn't understand what it was. Though he was beginning to worry that he did know what part of the problem was. He had assumed after Kurt had publicly danced with him that the people here didn't have a problem with him being gay… but maybe he had read that all wrong. Maybe all this talk of "outsiders" was a cover up for homophobia. Why else would Kurt look scared at the idea of going out with him?

"Um... Alright. I'll see you later then?" Blaine said hopefully.

"Yes, fine. Or... Actually I don't know. Sorry." Kurt said as turned and hurried through the gate and towards his house.

"Kurt!" Blaine called after him, but he was gone, Kurt had shut himself in his house like he was shielding himself from something dangerous.

"Damn it." Blaine said to himself wishing he could try that whole conversation again, he wouldn't mention lunch or going out of town. Yesterday had gone so well, spending the day together and having dinner with Kurt's dad, but now Kurt didn't seem to want anything to do with him. It made him feel a little heart sick.

Blaine turned to leave, walking back towards the town square and feeling uneasy. He was almost at the square when he came across one of the last people he wanted to see right then. Dave, the large angry man from the evening before, stopped him in his tracks not letting him pass, just like he had at the dinner last night.

"Excuse me." Blaine said trying to move away from him, he didn't want to deal with this guy right now.

"You're name is Blaine, right?" Dave's voice was laced with anger and he moved to the side to block Blaine again as Blaine tried to get around him.

"Yes." Blaine looked around nervously to find they were all alone on this street, not a position he wanted to find himself in.

"Did you just come from Kurt's house?" Dave spat stepping closer to Blaine and glancing back towards the direction Blaine had just come from.

Blaine clenched his jaw not liking the idea that a bully like Dave wanted to dictate whether or not he could see Kurt He avoided the question trying to stand as tall as he could but still only coming up to Dave's shoulders.

"Listen I don't know what your problem with me is, but I don't want any trouble."

"Then. Leave. Kurt. Alone." Dave's face was turning red and he punctuated each word like Blaine might not understand him otherwise.

"I'm not doing anything to bother him." Blaine said his stomach tight, not wanting to back down, but not wanting to fight either.

Dave took another step towards Blaine and Blaine slowly backed up, but then Dave raised his hands pushing Blaine's shoulders slightly, making him back up a few more steps. It wasn't an attack really; it seemed more like a warning of what was to come if Blaine made him angry.

"What's your deal?" Blaine said trying to keep his voice calm; he didn't need to be a hotheaded in this situation Dave seemed to have that role covered.

"You shouldn't be here." Dave said leaning in, bringing his face too close to Blaine's "You don't belong here. We don't want people like you here." He looked Blaine up and down. "Why don't you just leave?"

"What? Leave town?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Yes." Dave sheathed through his teeth.

"I don't think you get a say in that." Blaine heart was pounding. He wasn't a stranger to confrontation, but it made his stomach squirm all the same.

Dave pushed him again and Blaine stumbled back almost losing his balance. As he regained his footing he noticed that Dave had balled his fist. Blaine's heart clenched and he raise his hands placidly in the air, he knew how to fight but he remembered how upset Kurt had seemed the evening before when Blaine had been ready to land a punch if needed. He could get out of this without fighting; he just had to talk to this guy, calm him down. "Just let me by Dave."

Dave just huffed out a laugh, a smirk curling on his lips and he moved forward again. This was it, Dave was going to hit him, Blaine braced himself moving his hands up in front of his face as protection.

"Hello David!" Someone called nearby.

Blaine didn't get a chance to see how far Dave would have gone, as man and woman came down the street just in time. Dave backed away and straightened up from where he'd been leaning over Blaine.

"Emma. Carl." Dave said nodding towards them his face pleasant with no trace of the menace it held only moments ago. The couple glanced briefly at Blaine and then back at Dave.

"Is everything alright David?" A redhead woman with round bambi eyes asked.

"I was just letting this… outsider know what his place is here in Folaigh." Dave smiled as if there was nothing wrong with what he was doing.

"Oh. Well… I don't know…" Emma glanced at the man with her. He was dark haired with tan skin, he smiled at Dave and Blaine, his grin dazzling.

"Dave, don't worry about it. It is taken care of."

"Taken care of? Did you see him dancing at the start of the Centennial with m… with Kurt?" Dave's face was growing ugly again but the man's, Carl's, smile didn't falter.

"Dave." He said calmly. "This isn't your concern. You should move along."

Blaine took a deep breath as Dave seemed indecisive.

"Fine!" He threw up his hands but turned to Blaine before leaving. "I'll see you again." Then he stomped down the road the direction Blaine had come.

Blaine watched him for a moment before turning to the couple. "Thank you. I appreciate your help."

The woman opened her mouth and then shut it again looking away. The man's smile faded. "Listen you seem… you're not what we…" He sighed. "Sorry about all that." The smile was back in place again. "But we are very traditional around here and not use to visitors."

"You mean outsiders?" Blaine asked hoping to get more information.

Carl didn't stop smiling but it seemed a little frozen in place. "Yes well. We pretty much keep to ourselves."

Emma cleared her throat to get their attention, but still didn't look up, her hands nervously smoothing down her pristine skirt. "We should be getting to the school house Carl."

"Of course dear." He linked arms with her and the tipped his hat to Blaine. "Do try to stay out of trouble." He said and they walked away.

Blaine was left bewildered. Stay out of trouble? He wasn't looking for trouble. He was just walking down the street. Blaine closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, the image of Dave punching him and this couple walking on as if nothing had happened filling his mind. But no, at least they had done something. Still the fear and hostility from some people in Folaigh was bewildering to him.

Cooper had once told him that, "Prejudice is just ignorance" and he had repeated that to others, but the truth was Blaine had paid the price for people's ignorance before. And Dave's words kept ringing in his ears. We don't want people like you here.

Blaine had heard those words too many times in his life and they always made him feel sick. Maybe he and Sam should be heading home. At that thought his heart plummeted, he didn't want to leave Kurt especially with how weird things were between them right now, but the fact remained they really couldn't stay much longer.

* * *

Kurt felt troubled all morning over the council's decision to let Blaine and Sam stay. He honestly felt neither of them were a risk, but what if he was wrong and something bad happened because of his interference with the council?He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he knew another worry was what would happen to him if he kept falling harder and harder for a man who in the end would have to leave Kurt's life.

Kurt was a mess. He had never felt this way about someone before. He knew he preferred males over females when it came to romance, and he wasn't blind to the attractive men in his own town, a few of them had even made their interest in Kurt known. He had never reciprocated though; he had often worried that with such a small pool of men like him in town he'd never find anyone... anyone that made him want to live a bigger life than he'd known before, someone who made his knees weak and heart flutter and all the things that Blaine did to him.

He rolled his eyes at himself; he was taking this too seriously. He barely knew Blaine, there was no way his heart was already so invested in that kind, golden eyed, sweet voiced… He shook his head to stop that train of thought. This was just a passing infatuation that was all.

Except…

Except, his father had always told him it would hit him like lightning. "When I first met your mother there was a spark and I knew. I knew I'd never feel for anyone what I felt for Elizabeth. Just wait Kurt, you'll find your own lightning bolt."

Kurt clutched at his chest at the memory of his dad's words. Not Blaine though, please not Blaine. Kurt closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the front door knowing he'd just shut Blaine out on the other side and willing himself to not feel so despondent about it.

Kurt had bowed out of working the flowers cart that afternoon, even though Mercedes wasn't available to run it either. He just needed to avoid Blaine. He sat with Quinn that for the evening's festivities, she was prim and proper and well mannered, sitting rimrod straight with her hands folded in her lap, the way she only did when truly upset. She kept shooting side-long glances at Sam who was sitting with Mercedes watching the evening's performance of dancers.

"It isn't as though I care." She said to Kurt. "Mercedes asked him to join her before I did. He was just being a man of his word. You could tell he actually wanted to come with me." She shook her long blonde hair behind her shoulders. "I mean I should be the one with him because the council tasked me with keeping an eye on him. But otherwise I don't have any vested interest in it at all."

"Uh huh." Kurt said noncommittally trying to keep himself from stealing his own glances at Blaine who was sitting on the other side of Sam.

"He is just an outsider, here only temporarily. I really don't care who he spends time with."

Quinn's tone was growing cold and that pulled Kurt's attention from memorizing Blaine's smiling profile as he sat enraptured by the group performing a traditional set dance.

"Quinn it is alright if you like Sam."

"I don't." She said quickly. "I just want on that council Kurt… I mean… Sam's nice and attractive if you like that sort of thing…" She sighed. "But Kurt don't you think the older generation has run Folaigh long enough? It is time for a change."

Kurt gave her all of his attention at that, thinking about the council meeting he'd listened in on. They had been so driven by fear instead of logic, it was a little disconcerting. "You know Quinn. I think you'd be good for the council."

She glanced away from Sam and Mercedes to look Kurt in the face as if trying to read if he was joking or not.

"Really Quinn. I would trust your judgment."

Her face softened. "Thank you Kurt." She sighed. "At least your assignment isn't hard for you, no one is stealing Blaine's time away from you and you obviously like him… why aren't you sitting with him tonight?" She scrunched her brow as if she was just now realizing that Kurt was as far away from Blaine as he could get.

"I think I like him a little too much." Kurt said looking down, suddenly fascinated by his own knees, so he wouldn't have to see Quinn's reaction to that statement.

"Ah."

Kurt looked up again when she didn't say anything else. "Is that all you have to say?"

She just shrugged. "Kurt I'm not going to tell you that you should stay away from him if that is what you want to hear."

"You had no problem warning me off the other day."

"That's because I hoped to keep you from falling for him… but if you already have…"

"I didn't say-"

"You said you trust my judgment right?" She interrupted him.

"Well yes… but…"

"Then I think you should spend time with Blaine. Not just because Sue said too, but because…" Kurt watched as her eyes grew a little sad. "Our lives here, they're good, I would never complain. We are safe and loved and… and surrounded by good people, but you have to admit our lives are limited.

I came to the realization at a young age that my dreams could only go so far, our options are restricted here. I hope to be head of the council someday because that is the biggest dream I could come up with for my life in Folaigh." She sighed. "So spending time with an outsider, it could be a once in a lifetime adventure, and maybe you'll have some heartache from it, but isn't that better than never feeling anything at all?" Quinn's voice had grown a little scratchy like she was holding back tears.

She cleared her throat and smiled. "Chase adventure while you can Kurt." And with that she turned back to the performance as if it was the best thing she'd ever seen and with an expression that let Kurt know she was done with the conversation.

Kurt sat stunned for a moment, he had never heard Quinn talk about Folaigh like that, but she was right. It was a worry he carried as well, but didn't allow himself to focus too much on, how small their lives felt sometimes. He glanced back over at Blaine and his heart swelled, Blaine could stay all month until the end of the Centennial, and Kurt wanted him too. Kurt blew out a long breath, this could hurt so badly. Blaine was grinning broadly obviously enjoying himself, his posture relaxed and his eyes dancing. Kurt smiled hopefully, Blaine could also be so very worth the pain.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This has been my favorite chapter to write so far. I hope you enjoy it.

Blaine spent the most of rest of the next day alone. He had lunch with Sam and Quinn and felt distinctly like a third wheel, especially since things between Sam and Quinn seemed tense. In the afternoon Blaine knew the carts were open in the square again and people were setting up for the play that evening, but Blaine avoided it. Kurt would be there and Kurt had made it clear he didn't want to see Blaine. He had respected Kurt's space last night during the dance performance, willing himself to not even glance over at him… too much. It wasn't his fault Kurt had worn a blue shirt that matched his eyes and was really hard not to look at.

Blaine was spending the afternoon holed up in his room at the Jones' inn trying and failing to not think about Kurt.

"Come on man." Sam prodded. "You're just going to sit around our room all day? This town is awesome you need to enjoy it while you can."

"Speaking of that." Blaine said with a sigh. "Don't you think we should be heading home soon? We were going to leave Ireland this weekend even before what happened with that poker game."

Sam's face fell. "I thought you wanted to stay here as much as I did. Did you and Kurt fight or something?"

"No... We just… he doesn't seem interested in seeing me. And it isn't just about Kurt, have you really not noticed how unwelcome we are here?"

"That's not true, Mercedes and Quinn-"

Blaine cut him off, "What about everyone else? The older generation especially seems to not want us around. We are staying in their house and Mr. and Mrs. Jones have barely said a word to us."

"Well… yeah…"

"And I get the feeling they are a little homophobic." Blaine said quietly watching Sam closely for his reaction.

"Who the Jones? No way! Mercedes is best friends with Kurt and I know her parents love him, she says he is like a brother."

Blaine flopped back on the bed feeling sorry for himself. "Maybe it is just me then. Maybe people just don't like me."

Sam sat down next to him. "You're being ridiculous. You are one of the most likeable guys I know. Get out of this room Blaine. Go find Kurt."

Blaine didn't respond.

"If you  _really_  want to leave after today we can go." Sam finally said.

"Thanks Sam."

Sam nodded and headed for the door, going to meet Mercedes, or Quinn, Blaine was sure which. "Hey put on that flower wreath and go join the fun in the square. Maybe you'll feel differently." Sam called as he shut the door behind him.

Blaine laid on the bed a little longer before he made himself get up. He reached for the flower wreath hanging on the bedpost and lifted it off giving it a long look. The bright yellow flowers twisted around green leaves were just as bright and fresh as when Kurt had made it for him days ago.

Blaine brushed his fingertips over the soft petals and smiled, the scent of the wreath bringing images of Kurt sitting so close to him as he made it that part of Blaine was sure they were going to kiss. If only he'd met Kurt back home, he'd ask him out for dinner or coffee, he'd have the chance to get to know Kurt long term. They could go see a Broadway show and get gelato at that place near his apartment. They could hold hands walking down the street; Blaine would kiss Kurt after he walked him home after a date. Blaine chest tightened. Even if Kurt wasn't avoiding him he couldn't have those things with a man who made his home some 3,000 miles away from New York City.

Blaine put the wreath back and got up from the bed. It didn't matter; he still wanted to spend time with Kurt and get to know him more. If they weren't meant to be then fine, Blaine at least wanted try to make things right with Kurt before he left. Fix whatever mistake he'd made before.

Blaine got to the square by late afternoon, it was sunny and bright but Blaine felt uneasy, people still gave him strange glances like they had since the day he and Sam arrived. It made him anxious, but when he saw Kurt his chest felt like it expanded pleasantly, filling with warmth. Kurt was talking to a young girl and putting together a bouquet, smiling at the girl as the sun illuminated his face, making his skin bright and his eyes the color of the blue sky.

Blaine walked to the cart and waited as Kurt finished up the flowers he was arranging. Kurt glanced up at him and froze.

"Hi Kurt." Blaine said with a smile even as his heart thudded in his chest.  _Please don't run away from me again._

"Hello." Kurt said softly before turning back to the little girl. "Here you go sweetheart." He handed her the flowers, she took them and then looked up at Blaine with a bright smile.

"My mother says to stay away from you."

Blaine's mouth dropped open at the same time his heart sunk. He watched the little girl, blonde hair in soft curls and big brown eyes, stare up at him. "She told you to stay away from me?"

"Hurry along now Cassie." Kurt said quickly looking nervously between Blaine and the girl.

"You talk funny, but you don't seem scary to me." The girl said ignoring Kurt.

"I'm not scary." Blaine said crouching down and trying to smile and seem unintimidating "I promise."

"Cassie." Kurt spoke up again. "This is Blaine he's a friend of mine and not scary at all." Blaine's heart rose at that. The girl smiled bigger, proud that she had been right. "But if your mother said not to spend time with him, you probably shouldn't."

"I'm going to tell her you seem nice and that you're Kurt's friend." She leaned forward like she had a secret and Blaine leaned forward to hear. "Everyone loves Kurt so if he likes you, you must be good."

Blaine smiled and glanced at Kurt who was blushing a little and playing with the flowers like he wasn't listening.

"Thanks." Blaine said to the girl. "Kurt is right though, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with your mom."

The girl nodded, thanked Kurt for the flowers and then hurried off.

Blaine stood back up and watched Kurt for a little bit as he rearranged flowers on his cart as if Blaine wasn't right there.

"Are you still avoiding me?"

Kurt's eyes flashed to him. "I wasn't avoiding you."

"You practically ran from me yesterday Kurt."

"I…" Kurt's shoulders slumped. "Yeah, alright, maybe I did."

"So what is it?  _Are_  we friends like you just told that girl? Or should I leave you alone?"

Kurt was quiet a moment biting his lip in thought, looking down at his flowers and not a Blaine.

"I'm sorry." Blaine blurted not able to stand the silence any longer.

Kurt lifted his head, his eyes showing confusion. "Pardon?"

"I'm sorry for what I did to make you upset. I assure you it was an accident."

Kurt's eyes scanned his face for a moment before he spoke. "What did you do?"

Blaine sighed. "I have no idea. If you tell me I'll try to make it up to you."

A smile twitched on Kurt's lips before he could school his face again. "You're apologizing and you don't know what you did?"

"I know you're upset with me. That's why you're avoiding me. Sam and I won't be here much longer and I… I didn't want to leave with you angry at me."

Kurt was watching him closely, twiddling flowers in his hand. "I'm not angry at you." He said glancing down and Blaine's heart leaped a little in hope.

"No?"

Kurt shook his head.

"Then what happened yesterday? I mean I understand you have things to do, I don't expect you to just drop everything to spend time with a stranger-"

Kurt's eyes glanced up. "I don't consider you a stranger."

"What do you consider me?" Blaine said with a smile as he moved a little closer.

"I told Cassie you were my friend and I meant it."

Blaine couldn't help the wide smile that covered his face. "Okay. So then you weren't giving me the cold shoulder yesterday? You were just busy?"

Kurt put the flowers down to look Blaine fully in the face. "You're leaving soon."

"Yes, we never meant to stay this long."

"And then you'll be in New York and I'll be here and... and that is the end of that. I guess I didn't see the point in spending time together."

Blaine nodded his heart hurting a little at Kurt's blunt words. He wasn't giving up though. "See I think the fact that I'm leaving soon is all the more reason to spend time together now, while we can." He leaned forward arms folding on the cart giving Kurt his best pleading look and watched as Kurt blushed and then rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I guess that argument make sense." He bounced on his toes in excitement and then took a small red flower, one of the pheasant's eyes, from the cart and put in the button hole of Blaine's vest. Blaine's heart beat faster as Kurt's hand briefly pressed against his chest before he pulled back again. "That looks nice."

Blaine glanced down at the flower and then back at Kurt. "I wish I had something to give you in return."

"Mmmm, you could help me with something."

"Anything, whatever you need."

"I'm performing for the festival later in the month, I've been practicing for weeks, but now I'm not sure the song is right."

"You're singing?"

"Yes, and since you are studying music, maybe you could… listen? Help me chose something?" Kurt smiled at him and Blaine felt giddy all the way down to his toes. He couldn't think of a better way to spend the day than listening to Kurt sing. If his sweet lilting, talking voice was any indication his singing would be incredible. Kurt covered his cart and led Blaine down to the little church, painted white with a steeple on top.

"They let me use their piano sometimes.' Kurt explained. "The school has one too, but the children are having final rehearsals this afternoon."

"For their play tonight. The history of Folaigh right?" Blaine said. "I'm looking forward to it."

Kurt paused, his hand on the door handle of the church. "You want to go to that?"

"Why not, everyone is going right?"

Kurt pushed the door open and took a deep breath answering hesitantly, "Uh… yes, I guess…"

Blaine’s breathing hitched as he walked into the church; he hadn't been in a church in years and wondered if it would be uncomfortable. He stood in the entry way of the small chapel, wooden floors and wooden pews with a pulpit and piano up front.

Kurt must have noticed his uneasiness; he gently took his hand, as he always did, and smiled at him sweetly. Kurt lead him pass wooden pews until they reached the upright piano made of walnut or some other dark wood. It was polished and had intricate scroll work carved all over it. It looked like it should be old, maybe early 20th century, but it was so well kept the keys hadn't even started to yellow and Blaine assumed it must be a replica.

Kurt sat down on the bench and looked up at Blaine waiting for him to follow suit. Blaine sat next to him as Kurt plucked a few notes out on the keys without really starting a song.

"Are you going to sing?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked back at him with pink cheeks, even the tips of his ears a little rosy.

"I don't know what music sounds like where you come from." He said. "And I know you're a professional."

"I'm not a professional."

"But you study music... just don't… don't make fun of me."

Blaine's eyes widened and he laid a hand over Kurt's on the keys. "Kurt, I would never."

Kurt nodded and took a deep breath and once Blaine had moved his hand his started playing, he closed his eyes and opened his mouth and the most beautiful voice Blaine had ever heard came out. Clear and strong and sweet. Blaine didn't know the song but it made goosebumps rise on his arms.

Kurt's voice grew bolder as he continued, his confidence building as he sang. Blaine was left breathless. With a voice like that Kurt would be amazing at NYADA. They didn't have many countertenors and Blaine had never heard one as lovely as Kurt. When Kurt finished he left his fingers on the keys for a moment and then opened his eyes, looking at Blaine with a grin painted on his face. He knew he sounded good.

"Kurt. Wow." Blaine didn't even know what to say. "You're amazing."

Kurt laughed, the sound like bells falling through the air. "I'm sure you've heard a lot of singers at school."

"I have." Blaine said. "But not like that."

"It must be incredible living in New York." Kurt said brushing off the praise. "I can't even imagine a city as big as you've described. And you get to perform. I would love that."

"You could, with that voice."

"Not really much of a forum for it here. I mean I get to perform at the festival and I sing at parties and things sometimes, but…" He shrugged.

"What about outside of Folaigh? You could study music too. I mean if that is what you love to do you should do it."

"I help my dad with his shop. I'll inherit it from him one day."

Before he could stop himself he let out a frustrated huff or air. "You don't have to go into the family business if you don't want too."

Kurt tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows. "I know. I want too though, most of the time... It is a good job and I get to help the people of my town."

"Sorry." Blaine said rubbing his hands down his face. "Just projecting my own issues onto you."

Kurt closed the piano. "What do you mean?" He turned on the bench so his back was to the piano and he could lean his elbows on the closed keys.

"It doesn't matter. We are here to help you pick a song. Though the one you just sang would be wonderful."

Kurt shook his head. "I'll sing you my other option in a minute. What did you mean about having your own issues? Does your family have a family business too?"

Blaine turned to sit cross legged on the bench, facing Kurt and looking him in the eyes; he seemed to genuinely want to know. "My dad and I don't get along the way you do with your dad. He wanted me to join the family business, but it wasn't what I wanted. I went to NYADA instead to study performing arts and... my dad didn't think I could get a real job from that."

"I'm sorry." Kurt said softly

Blaine shrugged. "He probably could have forgiven me once he saw how well I was doing in New York, but none of it even matters since I'm gay."

Kurt looked confused. "Your dad doesn't want you to be happy?"

"Not if it is with another guy."

"Wait…" Kurt sat up a little. "You mean your father doesn't want you to be with men? Even if that is who you are?"

Blaine glanced around the church for a moment, painful memories clenching at his heart before turning his eyes back to Kurt, "He thinks it is a sin."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh." He was quite for a moment before he placed a hand on Blaine's knee. "I am so sorry." He eyes looked over Blaine's face and Blaine was struck by the intensity of them

"Thanks." Blaine whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"Your father is wrong. There is nothing the matter with you. In Folaigh we are all free to be the people we were born to be."

Blaine looked into Kurt's sincere and earnest eyes. "I wish every place was more like Folaigh then."

"Is it not like that, where you are from?"

Blaine opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. Had Kurt really been shielded from homophobia his whole life? Did he not understand what it could be like for those who were different and didn't meet the world's expectation of who you should be?

"Has no one ever… given you a hard time for being gay?"

Kurt was quiet for a minute. "By gay you mean preferring men, don't you?"

"Yes."

"I remember when I was young. When my mother was alive and before we came to Folaigh, all the other little boys were teasing girls and chasing them around and I never wanted too. Some of the bigger boys made fun of me for it. I suppose if my Father and I hadn't moved to Folaigh I would have seen more of that."

Blaine nodded beginning to see Folaigh in a new light. If the people here weren't homophobic and were as accepting as Kurt said, then their fear of Sam and him stemmed from something else. Still though, he could hardly imagine a life like Kurt was describing where no one cared who you loved or who you were.

"There are places in the world it isn't legal to be gay Kurt." Blaine explained. "You can be killed for it."

Kurt's eyes grew round and his face went pale.

"Not where I'm from. I mean it can be difficult; there are hate crimes and discrimination because people are different. Because of where they're from, or the color of their skin. In New York I am mostly free to be myself, but yeah. Things can be bad out there."

Kurt leaned in bringing his hand up to rest lightly on Blaine's face rubbing his thumb down his cheek. "I'm so sorry." He repeated. "I imagined it might be like that out in the world, but I didn't know… I'm sorry you have to live with that."

Blaine's breathe caught at how close Kurt was to him. "It isn't your fault. You don't have to apologize."

"No, but the people who should be sorry might not ever say it. So I am. I'm sorry it has been hard for you."

Blaine's throat felt tight with the tears he was holding back. "Thank you." He breathed.

"And I'm sorry your family doesn't accept you."

Blaine wiped at his eyes a little and took a deep breath. "I have a brother. An older brother named Cooper. He accepts me, but I don't spend much time with him. He always wants me to try to make up with my parents."

Kurt pulled his hand back slowly, but stayed so close their legs were touching. "I can understand not wanting the pressure to make-up with parents who don't accept you. But… if you have family who wants to be part of your life." He shrugged. "I wouldn't turn down an older brother I guess. Not if he loved me."

Blaine's heart clenched. He knew Cooper did love him, in his own overbearing way; He always came through for Blaine, like he had with the money for the hotel. Blaine was surprised to find he actually missed him; he hadn't seen Cooper in months.

Kurt studied his face. "It's none of my business though."

"No, you're right. I should give Cooper a chance."

Kurt smiled and Blaine felt his heart start to melt. He touched his cheek where Kurt's hand had been, it felt warm. "What about Dave?" Blaine asked suddenly remembering his confrontation with him the day before.

"Dave?" Kurt asked clearly surprised. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"He said that people like me didn't belong here. He…" Blaine stopped deciding not to tell Kurt Dave had pushed him around a little. "I mean, I thought he didn't like me because I am gay."

"Dave  _said_  that to you?" Kurt's cheeks flushed. "He said people like you don't belong here? What else did he do?" Kurt's voice had lost the soft quality it held only moments before as it grew angry.

"He just… he doesn't want me here."

"David is such a… I can't believe he would…" Kurt took in a sharp breath. "Dave is like me, like us. He prefers men too. He just doesn't want  _anyone_  from the outside here."

"What? Dave is gay? But I thought…" Blaine stopped, thinking back to both of his interactions with Dave. Both times he was trying to get between Blaine and Kurt. "He likes you." Blaine stated, the truth finally hitting him.

Kurt looked down in his lap and played nervously with his fingers. "There are only a few men in town that are my age who also prefer men. Dave got it in his head at a young age that we were meant to be together."

Blaine's heart sank. Why had he never even considered the fact that Kurt might already be with someone? "Oh." He said softly trying to pick the right words even has his chest felt constricted. "I didn't know… I didn't mean to get in the way."

Kurt looked up and him in surprise. "I'm not with Dave. Just because he wants it doesn't mean I do."

Blaine felt like a tight cage around his heart fell off. "Oh… good."

"Good?"

"I mean. If you don't want to be with him good that you are standing up for yourself."

"Right." Kurt said slowly, a smile forming on his lips.

"Right." Blaine bit back his own smile even as his stomach flipped in excitement. "So are you going to sing me that other song?"

Kurt laughed. "Alright." He turned around on the bench and opened the keys again. "This one is a little more upbeat."

Kurt sang his song and Blaine felt his spirits soar with the happy tune and the melodic ring of Kurt's vocals. He voted for that song even though the first one was so beautiful. It was for a celebration after all, the song should be happy.

"So do you... maybe want to go see the play together this evening?" Blaine asked once they were leaving the church.

"Oh… well." Kurt looked at him with a serious expression. "No. I don't think so." Blaine nodded slowly trying not to show his disappointment. "Let's skip the play all together and have dinner out in the meadow. l know, I know it would be another picnic out there, but I love the clearing and if we stay late enough I can point out constellations for you."

Blaine's smile was so bright it hurt his cheeks a little. "Yes please. Let's do that."

Kurt took extra time picking out his outfit for the evening. Dark pants which were comfortable but also looked good on him, a purple waistcoat and a high collared white shirt. He looked at his reflection in the mirror over his mother's old vanity and brushed his hair from his face letting out a long breath.

He had scrambled that afternoon to think of a way to keep Blaine from going to the play. The history of Folaigh wasn't something Blaine needed to hear. He had found out that Quinn had done the same with Sam. They were staying in and babysitting her little 2-year old sister who wasn't feeling well.

Kurt and Blaine's evening sounded much better.

Kurt understood that he was meant to spend time with Blaine to get information for the council, though he was caring less and less about that facet of it all. He just wanted to be with Blaine as much as possible. His responsibilities to the council couldn't be forgotten though, a fact that was driven home that afternoon when Sue stopped by and drilled him for information about Blaine and New York and anything else he found out about the outside world. He was reluctant to tell Sue about what Blaine had said about "gay" people and how they and others were treated, he was trying to paint the outside world in a better light, but if that was the truth than there was no sense in hiding it.

"Just be careful." Sue had said before she left. "He may be handsome and charming, but you can't trust an outsider."

His father had arrived home just as Sue was leaving and he heard her last remark. "She has a point you know."

Kurt was surprised to hear his father agree with Sue, they usually had opposite opinions on everything, but recently that seemed to have changed.

"She's wrong about Blaine."

Burt rubbed his balding head and sighed. "Maybe, but you should still be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm telling you dad, no way would Blaine ever harm me."

"Yes. But your own heart might." He said repeating his warning from earlier in the week before he quietly left the room.

It was those words that echoed through Kurt's mind as he attached a broach to his vest, a little bird sitting on a leafy branch. His dad was right, his heart was in danger, but Quinn was right too, this was his chance to do something more, to have something more than Folaigh could provide for him. He understood Blaine was only here for a short time, but he was going to treasure up the time he had with him.

He met Blaine at a little gazebo near town square, a basket of food in one hand and a big quilt tucked under his other arm. Blaine looked more dashing as ever, in a dark blue dress shirt and dark grey pants, his hair even curlier than it was the day he arrived and the green and yellow wreath Kurt had made him nestled in the curls.

"Wow." Blaine said as he approached. "You look… you look gorgeous."

Kurt laughed a little. "You look very handsome too." He said straightening Blaine's collar even though it was already straight. Kurt wasn't usually a very tactile person, but with Blaine he always wanted to hold his hand or brush his fingers against his arm or make some kind of contact.

"I brought you something." Blaine said holding up a small boutonniere of white Bell Heather, delicate little clusters of white flowers that looked like a bunch of tiny little bells, they were wrapped together with a bright red ribbon.

"You said they were your favorite and I know it is weird for me to bring you flowers." He chuckled nervously. "I mean these are even from your garden, but I traded Mercedes for them. I thought… It'd be nice to give you flowers for a change." He said as he handed the flowers to Kurt. "I put them together with the ribbon myself."

"They are lovely." Kurt said breathlessly, fingers lightly tracing the small bells, his heart in his throat. He used his broach to pin the flowers to his lapel and looked back up at Blaine. "No one has ever given me flowers before."

"Because you  _own_  the flowers." Blaine said with a grin.

Kurt shrugged, "Yes, but is still such a nice gesture. Thank you."

Blaine was the one to take his hand this time and Kurt almost thought he felt a spark when their skin touched. That had to be his imagination though, any lingering magic Blaine had from Kurt healing him would be gone by now. They walked to the field and Kurt unfurled the blanket and spread it out on the grass. Most of the day time flowers had closed already, but the moon lilies were coming out, Kurt picked a spot that hosted clusters of them and sat down patting the quilt for Blaine to follow suit.

Kurt watched as the flowers slowly unfurled their petals and turned their gleaming white faces towards them. Like plants that followed the light. He didn't think Blaine noticed it though, because his beautiful Blaine seemed to only have eyes for him. No, not  _his_  Blaine… he couldn't think like that.

They sat and ate, chicken sandwiches and blackberries that left their fingers stained and macaroons Kurt had gotten from the bakery for dessert. They didn't talk about the ugliness of the world Blaine came from again that evening. But instead Kurt told stories of having tea parties with his mother when he was young and Blaine told him about his dog Willis that Cooper had named after an actor Cooper wanted to be like. It turned out Blaine wasn't the only one in his family that had a passion for the stage.

As the sun sank deeper in the sky and the fireflies started to flit around them Kurt was caught off guard again and again at how full his heart felt while with Blaine. Like he hadn't know for all his life a part of it had sat vacant until now that it was filled with a kind of joy Kurt couldn't remember feeling before.

It turned out to be a clear night, perfect for star gazing and Kurt laid down on the quilt tugging Blaine playful down with him.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many stars out at once." Blaine said next to him.

Kurt giggled, "Where are the stars normally if not in the sky?"

Blaine smiled and turned to him "They are still there, you just can't see them. The lights of the city are so bright it masks the stars."

"I can't even imagine that." Kurt said, something inside him leaping at the idea. Oh he wanted to see New York; he wanted to go places he'd never been, never dreamed of, he wanted to see them with Blaine."When do you think you're leaving?" Kurt asked quietly looking up at the sky and voicing the question that had been nagging at him for awhile now.

Blaine ran his hand down Kurt's arm beside him. "I don't know…"

"The festival last until the end of the month… you could… you could stay the whole time." His heart caught in his throat with hope. "If you wanted too."

"Do you think the Joneses would be okay with that?"

"Yes, and if not you and Sam could stay with me… I mean we don't have as much room but you would be welcome."

Blaine was quiet and Kurt was worried he was going to tell him that they needed to leave sooner than that. "School doesn't start up until next month… I don't see why we couldn't stay."

"Really?" Kurt said looking back at Blaine, meeting his eyes and trying not to be distracted by the deep honey colored depths of them.

"If you wanted me to stay."

"I do want you too."

"Okay. I'll stay then." Blaine said simply and then leaned his head forward to bump it against Kurt's.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat as Blaine's soft lips pressed against his cheek. The touch sent sparks through Kurt's whole body. Kurt blinked his eyes in surprise as Blaine pulled back. Kurt wet his lips and cleared his throat and then scooted closer to Blaine taking his hand between them and the looking back up at the night sky.

"That's Ursa Minor." Kurt pointed. "The small bear."

"Which one? "Blaine asked squeezing his hand.

"You see that really bright star?"

"Yes."

"That's the end of its tail."

He glanced back at Blaine to find he was staring at him and not up at the stars at all.

"Blaine." He said teasingly. "I'm trying to educate you."

Blaine smiled. "Little bear, bright star tail." He looked back up. "I got it."

Kurt looked at Blaine a little longer than needed before turning his gaze back up at the sky, Blaine's hand still warmly tucked in his own. "And that's Cassiopeia." Kurt pointed up again even as his heart danced in his chest, he didn't want this month to ever end.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I need to warn for this chapter, but I don't know what to warn for? Nothing that doesn't happen in canon happens here, but there is a little harassment in this chapter. Just a heads up.
> 
> If you feel like it, let me know how you are liking the story or what you are thinking because I love hearing from you! xoxo

Blaine shivered in his sleep and moved to pull the covers up over him to protect against the chill. His hand reached out and grasped nothing but air. He slowly opened his eyes; the first thing he focused on was a bright red lady bug crawling up a blade of grass. He blinked his eyes and lifted his head taking in his surroundings, a field of green grass, and brightly colored flowers, the sky rosy and soft as the sun was just coming up. Blaine laid his head back down on the dew covered quilt under him.

He was chilled and a little damp from the morning dew, but a smile formed on his lips as he remembered where he was. There was movement behind him and a stifled yawn and Blaine glanced down to see arms wrapped around his middle. He was laying on his side and the hands holding him tightened their grip, hugging him close. Blaine's smile grew.

The person spooning him mumbled a little and pressed their face against the back of Blaine's neck and warmth blossomed in Blaine's chest, his heart beating happily. He turned his head just a little to see Kurt tucked up behind him holding him tight and breathing into his neck.

He didn't want to wake him; he didn't want to spoil this moment. So he turned his head back to rest on his cheek watching the little ladybug and enjoying the feeling of Kurt wrapped around him, his back pressed against Kurt's chest and their ankles linked together. Kurt only slept a little longer, slowly waking up, and hugging Blaine close as if Blaine was his heat supply. Then Kurt seemed to finally realize where he was, he let out a little squeak of surprise pulling his arms away from Blaine and sitting up. Blaine immediately missed his closeness.

"Oh my word," Kurt said and Blaine turned over on his back to look up at him. "We fell asleep out here!"

Blaine smiled sleepily. "Yup."

Kurt looked down at him, his eyes wide and his hair smashed up on one side from where he was sleeping and his cheeks ruddy. He looked adorable. He stared at Blaine and his expression of surprised morphed into a gentle grin. Blaine wondered what he must look himself; his hair had to be scary.

"Good morning Kurt." Blaine said still not getting up, everything was too perfect to move.

"Good morning." Kurt said in a hushed almost reverent voice. He reached down and brushed some curls from Blaine's face and the touch made Blaine shiver pleasantly. Then he pulled his hand away quickly, licking his lips and looking away. Blaine sat up stretching his arms over his head and rubbing his fingers through his hair, and yeah that was a mess. He yawned and noticed that Kurt was again watching him intently.

"My goal wasn't for us to fall asleep out here."

"You mean you didn't purposefully lure me out to the clearing so you could snuggle up against me all night?"

Kurt's eyes grew round and his mouth dropped open as his cheeks flushed red. "I… I…"

Blaine laughed and placed a hand on Kurt's knee. "Don't worry Kurt it was nice."

Kurt's mouth snapped shut and he covered his face with both hands. "This is mortifying."

"Kurt no!" Blaine said pulling Kurt's hands down and then keeping hold of them with both of his. "I had an amazing time last night with the picnic and the stars and  _you_. It was perfect. Thank you… and waking up next to you." Blaine smiled, "That was just a bonus."

Kurt looked at him for a long time his eyes crystal blue and searching.

"Didn't you have a good time?" Blaine asked, Kurt's prolonged silence worrying him.

"I think that's the best time I've had in a long while." Kurt said shyly and squeezed Blaine's hands before standing up. "But I'm covered in cold dew and I'm a little stiff from sleeping on the ground and  _so_ hungry."

Blaine stood as well and got off the blanket so he could help Kurt fold it. "We should have breakfast together."

Kurt looked at him brightly, "I'd love that, we could-" in a flash his smile fled. "My dad!"

"What?"

"I never came home last night!" He stopped trying to fold the blanket and just wadded it up in his arms. "I'm sorry Blaine I have to get home and tell me dad where I've been… and… and it would be better I think if you weren't there when that happens."

"You won't be in trouble will you?"

"No, I mean… not… he'll just have been worried." Kurt turned and started hurrying away turning his head over his shoulder to call out behind him. "I'm sorry!"

Blaine watched him go wondering how many times he was going to watch Kurt run away from him. At least this time he knew why. He felt guilty that Kurt was going to face his dad alone. Blaine didn't really have a read on Burt Hummel yet, but Kurt hadn't seemed scared, just worried. Blaine shivered, the morning breeze was chilling when you were covered with dew, he headed back to the Joneses to clean up and explain to Sam where he'd been all night, glad he and Kurt had made plans last night for this afternoon, he'd be able to find out how things went with Kurt's dad.

When he got back to the inn Sam and the Jones family were already around the table having breakfast. Mr. and Mrs. Jones barely gave him a glance, Sam grinned broadly at him with a wink and Mercedes gave him the best evil glare he'd ever seen. He need to set the record straight with her and Sam about what happened last night, and more importantly what  _didn't_  happen last night. Mercedes looked like she might skin him alive.

"Good morning everyone." Blaine said trying to cut the tension.

"Good morning." Sam said with a waggled of his eyebrow.

Blaine ignored that. "I… I'm sorry I'm... late. I'll just go clean up."

"I put some food aside for you." Mercedes said icily, even when angry she was a good host.

Blaine thanked her and then hurried up stairs, getting ready for the day was harder with just a pump for water in the lavatory to fill the tub, but he felt better once he was cleaned up and in a fresh pair of clothes. He went downstairs to find the Jones had left and Sam was waiting for him, nibbling on the bread from the breakfast Mercedes had set aside for Blaine. Blaine sat across from Sam sliding his food away from him.

"So." Sam said smiling broadly. "Did you and Kurt-"

"No Sam." Blaine answered quickly. "It isn't what you think."

" _Uh huh_."

"Sam, we had dinner and then looked at the stars and feel asleep." Blaine couldn't help the smile that covered his face as he thought about the wonderful time he'd had with Kurt. "But what you're thinking? That didn't happen."

"You didn't…?" Sam made a confusing motion with his hands that caused Blaine to wonder if he understood sex between two men at all.

"No."

"Well that's too bad, it's been way too long since you got any."

"Thanks Sam." Blaine said with a grimace.

"So we are packing up and leaving today?"

Blaine stopped mid bite and looked back at Sam. He'd forgotten that just yesterday he'd been ready to leave Folaigh. "Oh… um." He watched as Sam's smile started to grow smug, he knew what Blaine was about to say. "We could stay longer… the festival last all month and-"

"Wait, you want to stay  _all month_?"

Blaine swallowed a bite of bread and butter. "I mean we don't have too…" He stomach dropped at the thought of leaving though.

"Are you kidding me? We have to stay. This is great!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Sam said hopping up from the table. "I'm going to go tell Mercedes."

"Hey… if it comes up, put in a good word for me? I don't think she's that happy with me right now."

"No kidding." Sam said with a laugh as he bolted for the door. "Catch you later dude!"

Blaine looked down and his meal pushing eggs around the plate as a warm pleasant feeling filled his chest. A whole month here with Kurt.

Kurt ran all the way home arriving out of breath and with his quilt flying out behind him. He probably looked a little crazed. He ran into his house and stopped short when he found his dad calmly sitting at the table sipping on a hot cup of tea.

"Mornin' Kurt." He said evenly and Kurt hated it when he couldn't tell if his dad was angry of not. Kurt plopped down into a seat across from him.

"I'm so sorry dad. I am  _so_ sorry."

"Where have you been?" Burt asked with a steady gaze as he took another sip of tea.

"Just in the clearing… and I…. we went last night to look at the stars and we accidentally fell asleep there. I didn't mean to worry you and nothing… happened… I…"

"Kurt." Burt's firm voice interrupted his son's frantic explanation. "By 'we' you mean you and Blaine don't you?"

"We just fell asleep. That's all. Please believe me."

Burt rubbed his head wearily. "Of course I believe you. And you are old enough to make your own choices anyway, I just…"

Kurt's worried his lip. He hated upsetting or disappointing his dad.

"I'm not excited by the amount of time you are spending with Blaine. I don't think going out to the clearing to stargaze falls under Sue's instructions to keep an eye on him."

"No… it had nothing to do with that." Kurt knew that his spending time with Blaine had never really been because Sue wanted him too. "I don't know what Sue really wants me to learn from him, but last night... You're right, that had nothing to do with her." Kurt took a deep breath, worried of over his father's displeasure. "Maybe if you got to know him better you'd feel better about this. Blaine is a gentleman and he is so  _sweet_ and-"  


"Kurt this isn't about that. You need to know I have no problem with Blaine personally, but he  _is_  an outsider."

 

"That doesn't make him bad." Kurt said stubbornly wishing his dad could understand and surprised that he would judge Blaine so quickly. Blaine was kind and inviting, and funny. He was an outsider, but apparently Kurt had the wrong opinion of outsiders all this time. Blaine filled Kurt's mind with images of skyscrapers, and underground trains, and telephones you could carry with you in your pocket. It was all so fantastical, and Kurt knew he wanted to see it all. That wasn't the real draw of Blaine though. Kurt loved spending time with him because Blaine was, was  _Blaine_. Kind and smart and beautiful, Kurt's heart beat faster when he was near and the way he smiled and his eyes would light up… Kurt couldn't understand why he dad was against him.

"Kurt." Burt said looking him straight in the eye and reaching across the table towards him. "You are misunderstanding me. Whether or not Blaine is a good person isn't the point. The point is he isn't from here and he doesn't belong here." Burt lifted his hand as Kurt opened his mouth to protest. "You know he can't be allowed to stay and you can't leave. I can see it in your eyes son, you… you're falling for this boy. I warned you about that before, but now I'm afraid it's too late. What will you do when he leaves and you are still bound to Folaigh? I don't want that boy to hurt you. I don't want him to break your heart."

Kurt's chest tightened at his father's words because he knew he was right, even if he wanted to argue it. He was already heavily invested in Blaine and when he left Kurt would  _never_  see him again. "If my heart breaks." Kurt said quietly not able to keep his father's gaze, looking down at the tabletop instead. "Blaine won't have been the one to break it; it will be these rules that  _trap me_  here that break it."  


A cold shiver ran up Kurt's spine as the words left his lips. He had often wondered about the outside world. Sometimes in his heart of hearts he had secretly wished he could have more out of life, more than Folaigh had to offer, but never had admitted that he felt trapped. Now though, the borders of his beloved home were starting to feel more like prison bars. And yes, it was because he liked Blaine, he liked him  _oh so very much_ , but it was also because of the world that Blaine came from, and the life Kurt could never have.

"I've never heard you speak about your home like this." Burt said and Kurt looked up to him to find that his expression wasn't angry but sad. His brow was creased and his eyes looked tired. "You know the council… we only ever did what we did to protect our families and those we love. It wasn't to trap you, but to… to give you a chance to thrive."

Kurt nodded and wiped his eyes a little realizing they were tearing up. "But don't you ever miss it? The outside world? I mean I was just a kid, but you must miss it."

Burt sighed. "I miss your mother. And it is the outside world that took her from us."

Kurt's stomach churned at the pain in his father's voice. "But it…" Kurt took a deep breath. "It wasn't Folaigh that brought you two together, you would have never met her if… if you or she had been  _locked away_  like we are now." Kurt couldn't believe he'd said that and the pained look in his father's eyes made him regret it instantly.

"I just want what's best for you son." Burt voice broke.

Kurt got up from his chair quickly and rushed over to his father wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "I know dad. I know and I love you for it. Don't worry about me please. I just… I need this little adventure with Blaine. And then he'll leave and everything will go back to normal. Don't worry."

Burt nodded and hugged him back and Kurt's heart hurt from lying to his father, because he knew that he'd learned too much about a life he'd never see and that things would never go back to the way they had been before Blaine.

After changing clothes and eating breakfast with his dad Kurt went out to the square, he was going to spend the afternoon with Blaine so he needed to look over his flower cart now. A few of his primroses were looking a little wilted so he brushed his fingertips over them, blue light glowing and sparkling for a moment and then fading leaving the flowers fresh and new as if they'd just been cut. He sighed, usually using his magic gave him a little tingling happy sensation, but this morning it didn't seem to warm him the way he was use to. Or maybe it did, but his melancholy overshadowed it.

Sue had sent a message over to the Hummel house saying that she wanted a full report from him and Quinn today, but Kurt didn't think he was up for it. What was Sue hoping to learn anyway? This whole spying exercise seemed a little useless.

"Kurt!"

Kurt was snapped out of his musings by an angry voice; he turned to see Dave Karofsky storming towards him. "Kurt is it true?"

Kurt took in Dave's angry appearance, mouth in a straight line across his face, eyebrows angled down over his dark and flashing eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Did you really spend all night with that… that  _outsider_?" Dave spat the term like a curse word.

Kurt felt his cheeks redden both in anger and at the implication of Dave's question. There were no secrets in this town and gossip was rampant, if Dave knew about that then by dinner everyone in Folaigh would know he'd spent the night with Blaine. And they would all think more happened than did. "I don't see how it is your business." Kurt said trying to keep the edge out of his voice. He really didn't want to talk about this with Dave.

"It is everyone's business if you are fraternizing with one of them. They're the enemy Kurt!"

Kurt was holding too tightly on a bunch of the purple cranesbills he loved, he placed them in the cart before he accidently broke all their stems. "Blaine isn't the enemy."

Dave clenched his jaw and Kurt could see a vein protruding from his tightened neck. "I thought you were smarter than this Kurt! You are going to trust an outsider you just met over the people of your town! Don't be a fool!"

Kurt could feel his own anger boiling up in his chest. Dave had no right to talk to him like this. "Stop yelling at me!" Kurt shouted ignoring the irony of shouting at someone not to yell.

"You are putting us all in danger Kurt, and what for, a pretty face?" Dave's voice had lowered, but somehow had taken on an even more intimidating tone.

"Dave, the council has allowed them here if you-"

" _No._ " Dave growled, cutting Kurt off and making him jump back a little. "Sue didn't  _make_  you do this. The council didn't tell you to… to…" Dave's face turned a bright shade of red and his eyes started to water. "You  _staying_  with him all night that was  _not_  because of the council."

Kurt sighed, the anger still simmering inside but fading. Dave was worried about him and jealous, Kurt knew that, but he had no reason to taunt Dave like this. "What you are implying between Blaine and I didn't happen."

Dave's faces relaxed a little. "What?"

"Not that it would be any of your business anyway."

Dave clenched his jaw. "Why him Kurt?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why him? Are the people here not good enough for you? Am  _I_  not good enough for you?"

"We aren't…" Kurt scrunched his brow and rubbed his head, a headache fast coming on. Spending time with Blaine was never meant to hurt Dave, but Dave didn't get to say who he spent time with. "Dave you and I aren't together like that."

"Only because you won't give us a chance Kurt."

"Dave please." All the anger Kurt had been filled with vanished at the hurt look on Dave's face. Kurt had known Dave since he was ten. They were friends and though Kurt didn't,  _couldn't_ , feel that way about Dave he didn't want to hurt him either.

"I've felt this way about you since we were twelve. You remember that time we found Mr. Figgins trap in the clearing and he'd caught a rabbit, probably for dinner. And you just… you couldn't leave it there. We got it out and you healed its leg..."

Dave swallowed and took a step closer to Kurt. Kurt's eyes started to sting with tears, why did Dave have to do this? It wasn't the first time Dave had told Kurt about his feelings, but that didn't change what Kurt's own heart told him. They would never work together.

"And that outsider is here just days and you…" Dave's face was turning red again. "I see the way you look at him, like he glows from the inside and you are a mouth to his flame."

"Dave." Kurt could feel his face heat up in a blush, the description of how drawn he was to Blaine surprisingly accurate.

Dave moved a little closer. "All I've ever wanted was for you to look at me like that, to feel those things for me. Why can't you?"

Kurt could feel tears forming in his eyes. "Dave I can't just choose to feel that way. You have to understand that."

"No Kurt I don't understand because you've never even let me try to… to…" Dave ran his hands through his hair looking frantic as he lost his words. Kurt was racking his brain trying to think of something to say to comfort him when Dave stepped forward again, putting himself in Kurt's space. Then before Kurt even knew what was happening Dave moved forward, hands too firmly grabbing Kurt's arms as he pulled Kurt in and pressed their lips together.

Kurt was frozen in shock but only for a moment before pulling away with an indignant yelp. Dave was looking at him with fierce eyes, his chest heaving, before he moved forward to kiss Kurt again. Kurt was more prepared this time though, he dug the heel of his boot into Dave's foot and stepped backwards as Dave released him with a cry of pain. Kurt raised a hand to slap Dave, but then stopped himself at the shocked and terrified look on Dave's face.

"What's wrong with you!" Kurt yelled instead. "How could you... You can just take…" Kurt's tears were spilling from his eyes now, hot and scared and angry. "You're my  _friend_." Kurt's words ran out and Dave still just stood there looking at him with an expression that sent a cold shiver of sadness down Kurt's spine

"He can't have you." Dave rasped out his own eyes pooling with tears. "Because someday you're going to realize you're mine."

"I don't belong to any one Dave." Kurt said pulling in a long shuddering breath. "And even if it weren't for Blaine _we_ wouldn't be together… you're my friend but…" He couldn't say anything more, he'd explained this all before and he was still reeling from shock that Dave would have forced a kiss on him like that. He couldn't be here right now. He couldn't face Dave anymore. It was feeling sick and claustrophobic. He pushed Dave aside and started to run.

He ran out of the square, past the houses and buildings, out into the clearing and towards the tree line. He wanted to run and run and run until the memory of someone he trusted doing that to him faded from his mind. He got through the clearing and ran right up to the trees before he stopped, heart pounding in his throat and making it hard for him to swallow. It would just take one step. One step past that invisible boundary he knew held all of Folaigh. One step and he could be free. He could see the world; he could do whatever he wanted. Kurt closed his eyes and lifted his foot.

He couldn't do it. He took a step backwards.

He couldn't betray the people of Folaigh like this. He couldn't hurt the people he loved. Kurt collapsed on the grass and covered his face with his hands and cried until his tears ran out.

Blaine sat in the little church by himself looking up at the opening in the ceiling that let you look all the way up the inside of the steeple. He remembered going to church with his family as a little kid, it had been fun. His friends were there, and Sunday school always had snacks. Now he only felt sadness sitting in the little chapel. He hadn't been to church since coming out to his parents and they told him God would free him of his sinful desires if he just repented.

He thought about what Kurt had said about Folaigh accepting people for who they were, and assumed Kurt must mean the church going people were accepting as well. Blaine smiled. He liked that idea.

Blaine looked behind him hoping he heard the door open but it was no one. Last night he and Kurt had planned to meet up so Kurt could practice his song some more and Kurt had coxed Blaine into promising to sing him something too. Kurt hadn't show up yet though, and Blaine was left sitting in a church all alone, but somehow not feeling like he didn’t belong here. Blaine got up from the pew and walked over to the piano plucking out a few notes with a heavy sigh.

Kurt was one of the most amazing people he'd ever met, kind and funny and a fascinating mixture of shy and bold. He was beautiful too, with his pale skin and blue eyes that could look right through you, but as Blaine got to know him more Kurt just became more and more attractive. Blaine knew it was because Kurt was gorgeous inside as well as out. As cheesy as that cliché sounded, it was true about Kurt.

Blaine still had a few weeks here in Folaigh if he and Sam were going to stay for the whole festival… but after that? Blaine was trying to think of a way to ask Kurt to come and visit him in New York without having Kurt shut down the idea. He could see in Kurt's eyes that he wanted to see more of the world. Every time Blaine would talk about New York they would light up. And he had endless questions about technology and art and he seemed like he just wanted to see  _everything_. Still though, Blaine couldn't even get him out of Folaigh for lunch, how was he going to convince him to cross the Atlantic?

After giving Kurt a little more time to arrive Blaine walked away from the piano and down the aisle and out of the church, his feet leading him to Kurt's home. If he was in trouble with his dad or something maybe Blaine could help explain things to Burt. He got to the Hummel's house and rapped on the door, he waited but there was no answer. He tried once more, but still there was no response.

Blaine walked around the side of the house on the off chance that Kurt was in his backyard and was rewarded by the sight of Kurt laying on the grass on the strip of clear space between his vegetable and flower gardens.

"Hey Kurt." Blaine called cheerfully walking to him and settling down next to him on the grass. "I thought we were going to-" He stopped short when he looked at Kurt's face. His eyes and nose were red and tear tracks painted his cheeks. Blaine's chest felt panicky for a moment seeing Kurt look so distressed. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Kurt blinked up at Blaine, wiped his face with the palm of his hands and sat up to beside him. "I'm… alright."

Blaine studied his face for a moment. "You've been crying."

Kurt shrugged.

Blaine bit his lip and nodded. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want." Blaine said putting an arm around Kurt's back wanting to do something to comfort him, worry a tight knot in his chest. He was pleasantly surprised when Kurt leaned his head down to rest in on Blaine's shoulder. "But I'm here if you want to talk. Did you argue with your dad?" Blaine felt Kurt move closer to his side and would have felt giddy over it if he wasn't so concerned for him.

"I…" Kurt started his voice soft and hesitant. "I had an argument with Dave."

"Dave." Blaine said evenly, remembering the argument  _he'd_ had with Dave where he'd been sure Dave would hit him.

"He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No." Kurt said awkwardly shaking his head while keeping it on Blaine's shoulder. He grew quiet after that and Blaine thought he wasn't going to expound but then he heard a gentle sigh and Kurt lifted his head up and turned to look Blaine in the eyes.

"Have you ever… courted someone before?"

"Courted?"

"Has there been anyone back home who caught your fancy?" Kurt said breaking his gaze to nervously pluck blades of grass out of the grown.

"Yes." Blaine said. "I've dated. I mean, that's probably as close to what you're calling courting as we do where I'm from. But I've been out with guys."

Kurt nodded still focused on the grass. "And have you… have any of them ever kissed you?"

Blaine smiled a little. "Yes. They've kissed me. I've kissed them."

"Oh." Kurt said and Blaine wondered if he imagined the disappointment in his voice. "I guess you don't think kissing is that novel than.

"No. I'm not saying that. Kissing can be a really special." Blaine could feel his cheeks heating up at this conversation, thinking about what it would be like to kiss Kurt. Kurt looked up at him again his eyes a little misty and Blaine was pulled back down to earth. Kurt was hurting and he still didn't know why.

"I'd never kissed anyone before. Not before today."

Before… today?" Blaine felt like the walls of his chest were pulling in making it too tight for his lungs.

"Dave, I told you he's always been a little sweet on me, but I never…" Kurt chewed on his bottom lip for a moment making it look plump and pink, but Blaine's stomach was swirling with worry over what Kurt might say next. "He was angry about me spending time with you. He thinks that he and I could work out if I just gave it a chance. I tried to tell him it doesn't work that way, you don't choose who you have feelings for, right?"

"Right." Blaine said quietly knowing where this story was going and hating it already.

"He was just so upset and then he… he grabbed me and he kissed me. I didn't want it." A tear rolled down Kurt's cheek and Blaine thought his heart would break for this beautiful boy who could never deserve someone treating him like that.

"It was my first kiss and Dave stole it."

"Oh Kurt."

"I know it must seem silly to you."

"No. No no." Blaine hurried to assure him. "It doesn't seem silly at all. That shouldn't have happened. I'm so so sorry that happened."

Kurt shrugged again.

"He didn't… he didn't do anything else did he?" Blaine asked the words hurting his throat.

"No, I yelled at him and I think I scared him. I think he was shocked by what he had done." Kurt smiled a little. "And then I ran from him."

"Kurt I... I wish I could take that away." Blaine said reaching for his hand and smiling softly when Kurt held on tightly. "That' shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't… he…" Blaine closed his eyes tightly trying to think of what he'd want to hear if the situation was reversed. "It doesn't have to count. It isn't your first kiss if you didn't want it. I mean that doesn't make it okay, I still wish I could do something to undo this for you but… but it doesn't count."

Kurt wiped his cheek again as the smile that had been trying to form won and spread over his face. "That's true.  _I_  still haven't kissed anyone myself."

"Right."

"And Dave… he…. I'll have to deal with him. But I made how I felt about it clear."

"Should you tell your dad what happened?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I mean I'm angry at Dave, but at the same time I don't want to get him in trouble."

"I do." Blaine said angrily before he could stop himself.

"Well if Dave thought there was ever any chance of us getting together he killed that now. I trusted him and…" Kurt shook his head looking ready to cry again. "Never mind. I'm going to put to whole thing out of my head, at least for now."

"Okay." Blaine said still searching Kurt's eyes wishing he knew how to help.

"I was supposed to meet you to rehearse my song." Kurt looked at him as if he had just realized he'd missed that appointment. "I wanted to hear you sing."

"Don't worry about that Kurt, really. And I'll still sing something for you sometime."

"Sometimes I wish I could just leave." Kurt said turning his whole body to face Blaine, but inching close to him, their folded knees touching. "Pack my bags and leave Folaigh. I want to see the world and get away from everyone here. I mean I love them, I do. I've known these people almost my whole life. But I just feel… stifled sometimes, caged in, and I want to run and run and not stop until my legs give out."

"Kurt." Blaine said lifting a hand to gently smooth his knuckles down Kurt's cheek. "You should just do it then. I mean, where I grew up was nothing like this place, but I understand the feeling of needing to escape. You can do what you want Kurt, nothing is holding you back."

Kurt let out a pained laughed and he looked into Blaine's eyes, "It's really… it's complicated."

Blaine sighed and nodded. He didn't know how to combat Kurt's years of tradition, he didn't even think it was his place too.

"Okay." He wasn't going to push it; this was something Kurt had to do for himself.

Kurt was quiet again but still looking intently into Blaine's eyes making him blush a little when he realized his hand was still on Kurt's face, he thumbed a tear away from under Kurt's eye and then started to move his hand wondering if it was inappropriate. Kurt moved his own hand first, covering Blaine's and holding it against his cheek as he leaned just a fraction closer.

He glanced from Blaine's eyes to his lips and back again and Blaine couldn't help but do the same, feeling mesmerized by the pull of Kurt's piercing eyes and soft looking lips. He wanted to kiss him; he wouldn't though, not first at least, not after what Dave had done. Kurt was going to have to close that gap if it was what he wanted. He  _really_  hoped Kurt wanted to.

Kurt moved in so that their lips were almost brushing against each other. "I… I'd very much like to kiss you." Kurt whispered.

Blaine wanted to laugh with joy, but he nodded slightly instead. "I want you too."

A little smile tugged on Kurt's lips before his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned forward erasing any space between them and softly pressing his lips against Blaine's. Blaine felt like he would melt on the spot. Kurt brought a hand around to the back of Blaine's neck and kept kissing him. It was a soft, innocent kiss but full and powerful in a way that Blaine felt in the pit of his stomach.

Blaine sighed and kissed Kurt gently back, lifting his other hand to Kurt's face and his thumbs brushing over Kurt's cheeks. Kurt parted his lips a little, sliding them against Blaine's and Blaine let out a small embarrassing moan as Kurt's hands move to cling to the back of Blaine's shirt, both of them lifting themselves to their knees bringing their bodies together.

The kiss was sweet, a little wet, and perfect, their lips fitting together like they were meant to kiss each other. Their chest pressed together so Blaine could feel Kurt's heartbeat. It didn't last long enough, Kurt pulled back his eyes dancing, his cheeks pink and his breath quick. Blaine was worried for half a second that Kurt regretted it, until a beautiful smile broke over Kurt's face and he let out a happy little laugh that floated in the air around him.

" _That_  was a good first kiss." Kurt said before his face sobered, "Wasn't it?"  


" _Oh god yes_." Blaine gushed and Kurt laughed again before leaning in with his arms around Blaine for another sweet press of lips. Blaine was lost in Kurt's kiss, no thoughts of Dave, or practicing music, or how soon he was going to have to go home. Kneeling there on the soft grass with the scent of flowers swirling around them and Kurt's lips against his own, this was everything to Blaine and he never wanted it to end.


	10. Chapter 10

Kurt tried to put the incident with Dave behind him. He knew he had the rest of his life in Folaigh with Dave and they would have to address it at some time, but not now. Now was the time he had with Blaine. He found it was easy to put thoughts of Dave out of his mind when his mind and heart were so preoccupied by a wonderful curly haired man whose kisses made Kurt feel like he was floating in the air and somehow grounded him to earth at the same time.

After kissing Blaine in the garden, a memory that made Kurt grinned wildly hardly believing he's had the nerve to do that, he and Blaine had become nearly inseparable. He'd meet Blaine at the Jones' in the morning and they would spend all day together only saying good bye at night when Kurt had to get home, and it was always with a "just one more kiss" or a "I could stay another few minutes."

Kurt was waiting for Blaine to come downstairs this morning, having rushed up real quick to change out of his sweater since the day was warmer than he'd expected. Mrs. Jones was hovering around, glancing and Kurt and huffing out breath. She obviously had something to say.

"Thank you for letting Sam and Blaine stay here." Kurt said to get the ball rolling. "It is very generous of you."

"Sue was quite insistent." She replied crossing her arms across her bosom. "You know. I'm not sure you should spend so much time with an outsider."

There it was. What Kurt knew she'd been itching to say for days now, what he knew a lot of people in town wanted to say to him.

"The council voted to let them stay. You know that, you were there." Though Kurt had no idea how she had voted.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can trust him. What are you doing following this boy around like a lost puppy? I expected better from you Kurt."

Kurt's stomach tightened and he opened his mouth to argue but Blaine came down just in time. He was wearing an overly bright short sleeved shirt that Kurt would have normally been against, but looked adorable on him. Now was the time to defend his action to Mrs. Jones.

"Ready to go?" Blaine asked reaching for Kurt's hand. Kurt saw Mrs. Jones narrow her eyes and he tugged Blaine towards the door.

Once they were outside Kurt took a deep breath trying to calm himself, Aaileen Jones was a good woman, he'd spent more time at her house growing up best friends with Mercedes than he could count. She wanted what was best for him, but that didn't give her the right to treat him like a child. She didn't get a say in his relationship with Blaine.

"What's the matter?"

Kurt sighed and squeezed Blaine hand. "Nothing." He smiled and tugged Blaine down the road towards the little school house. Many people in the town were responding to Kurt and Blaine together the same way Mrs. Jones was, giving them cool stares as they pasted. Dave seemed to be steering clear of them but the few times he'd seen him he shot glares like daggers towards Blaine.

Not everyone seemed to feel this way though. One huge surprise was Emma Howell. She had invited Kurt to come help her with the children today. "You could teach them some songs or something. They are restless with the festival going on, wanting all day off." Kurt had agreed to help and was surprised when Emma added. "Bring Blaine along if you like."

Kurt was stunned, she had been so against outsiders at the council meeting, but something must have changed her mind. When they arrived at the school house she greeted both Blaine and Kurt warmly introducing Blaine to the children who beamed up at him in awe, an outsider in their school room was unheard of.

It only took Blaine a minute to warm up to the kids asking if they'd like to learn some songs and sitting on the floor with them as he sang. It was then that Kurt heard Blaine sing for the first time, just a few silly children's songs, but his voice was warm and bright and sent tingles through Kurt's whole body. The children loved him too, piling on top of Blaine as he sang; they had no fear of an outsider at all.

Kurt couldn't wipe the ridiculous grin off his face as he watched Blaine, so sweet with the kids and singing with that wonderful earthy voice of his. Something about a spider that kept climbing up a water spout. Kurt couldn't tear his eyes away, watching him let kids climb on his back all the while singing to them, how could anyone think having Blaine here was wrong?

When they wrapped things up with the kids Emma stopped Kurt by the doorway. "Maybe outsiders aren't so bad." She whispered and Kurt couldn't agree more.

"That was fun!" Blaine enthused as they got outside; Kurt just grabbed his arm and pulled him around the side of the school house out of view. He pressed him up against the building and kissed him soundly, Blaine slumped against the wall a little and brought his arms around Kurt's waist.

Kurt broke the kiss with a smack and grinned when he saw Blaine's stunned and dreamy look. "What… what was that for?" He breathed.

"A thank you for being so wonderful in there." That was the most amazing thing about having kissed Blaine in the garden and having Blaine kiss him back. He got to kiss him whenever he wanted to now.

"Well, you welcome." Blaine said laughing.

The only real downfall, in Kurt's mind, to spending everyday with Blaine was that every now and again Blaine would ask questions that Kurt couldn't answer. Like why Folaigh had chosen to be so self reliant, or if any of the young people in Foaligh were thinking about going to University somewhere.

He had even started mentioning how Kurt should come visit him in New York. Kurt would say something noncommittal like, "That sounds nice." without ever expressing any real plans of doing it. Blaine seemed like he wanted to ask Kurt straight out why he was resistant to the idea, but never did.

The truth was Kurt  _did_  want to go to New York he wanted to say, ' _Yes, yes Blaine I'll come. I want to see you in New York. I want to see your school and the Empire State building and a Broadway show and your favorite pizza place. I want it so much it hurts.'_ In fact he started picturing slipping away with Blaine, just packing his things and leaving Folaigh by the cover of night. That was ridiculous of course. Not only would he never do that to his father, he couldn't be responsible for doing that to Folaigh just because he'd been foolish enough to fall for someone who lived on the outside.

The days started to melt together, they spend hours together, Kurt wanting spend as much time with Blaine as possible. Gardening, or working the flower cart or helping with the evening's festivities. Everything with Blaine was just  _better_. He and Blaine would spend time at his Father's repair shop sometimes; Kurt didn't want slack off on his job just because he was busy with Blaine. Burt even let Blaine tag along on a job or two. Kurt enjoyed watching his dad work, he could fix almost anything, it was Burt's own magic. Kurt also really appreciated that his Father was giving Blaine a chance.

They were in the shop having just got back from a job where Burt had let Blaine help out. Blaine was putting away some equipment and Kurt was trying not to think about how nice he looked in those pants when he bent over. His dad was right there after all. Blaine walked over to Burt who was cleaning some tools. "Thank you for taking me today. And being patience with me when I didn't know what I was doing."

Burt chuckled a little.

Blaine seemed nervous his eyes flitted over to Kurt for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never been very good at this kind of thing." He confessed. "My dad and I fixed up a car once."

" A car?"

"Um… an automobile?"

"Ah." Burt nodded. "That sounds impressive. Your father enjoys that kind of thing then?"

Blaine laughed, but it didn't sound happy and Kurt couldn't help but notice the pained look on his face. "Not really, I think he was mostly hoping doing something 'manly' would fix me."

Kurt felt his heart break at those words. How could anyone ever think that Blaine was anything less than wonderful? Everyone was flawed, Kurt knew that, but Blaine was so tenderhearted and happy and he loved to make people smile. How could Blaine's own father feel that his son needed to be fixed? Kurt was trying to think of something comforting to say when Burt spoke up.

"Well kid, you know I make my living fixing things. I fix all kinds of things that are broken and just need some extra care. I know when something is broken and can be fixed. I know when something is broken beyond repair… And Blaine, I can tell you that you aren't broken at all. You don't need to be  _fixed_."

Blaine blinked his eyes quickly as if holding back tears and Burt placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just because your father can't see you for who you are, doesn't mean you're broken."

"Thank you Mr. Hummel." Blaine said his voice scratchy and looking down at his shoes with a smile on his face. Burt nodded, graciously pretending he didn't see Blaine tearing up, and got back to cleaning up some of his tools.

Kurt moved forward to kiss his father's cheek feeling an overwhelming sense of gratefulness towards him; then he grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him out of the shop telling his dad they had things to get done before that evening. They ended up in Kurt's room pressed together side by side on the bed all hurried hands and warm lips. Kurt wanted to kiss away every hateful thing anyone had ever said to Blaine, and besides, nothing beat kissing Blaine. Kurt realized he didn't have a great base for comparison, but he was sure Blaine was the best kisser in the world.

Blaine's skin was warm, always so warm, and he tucked himself close to Kurt cupping his face pressing their lips together, tugging a little on Kurt's bottom lip. Kurt shuddered and parted his lips letting their tongues slid against each other as his hands kept moving over Blaine's back, wanting to anchor somewhere, but also wanting to touch as much of Blaine at once as he could.

Blaine made little gasps and moaning noises that sent lightning down Kurt's spine, they kissed until they had to break apart to breath, both of them flushed and panting, and staring into each others' eyes. Kurt just could not stop smiling. And Blaine looked happy again and that made everything perfect.

"I'm going to go see my brother when I get back to the states." Blaine said out of the blue.

Kurt planted a little kiss to the tip of Blaine's nose. "Doesn't he live across the country from New York?"

"He'll pay for me to fly out to see him."

Kurt grinned. "It so odd to think of people flying all over the world like you do."

"It's not uncommon. You could do it. I know a place you could stay in New York." He said with a cheeky smile.

Kurt lifted an eyebrow.

"With me." Blaine said and his smile was so bright it hurt Kurt's heart.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Cooper?" Kurt asked changing the subject like he always did.

Blaine nodded." I didn't think I was, but your dad…" Blaine sighed. "I guess seeing someone who accepts you so fully made me want that. And I have that in Cooper if I just gave him a chance."

Kurt nodded. "I'm so glad you have him. If I knew you were leaving Folaigh to go back to somewhere where you didn't have anyone I don't think I could bare it."

Blaine smiled softly and brushed his thumb over Kurt's lips. "I'm so happy I met you." He sighed and then leaned in again to kiss him. Kurt held Blaine tighter and kissed him back, it was the most wonderful thing in the world, not just kissing, but kissing  _Blaine_. Kurt didn't know how he'd gone the past 20 years of his life without it.

In the very little time Kurt wasn't spending with Blaine he was working on a surprise for him. He was making him some clothing. A pair of chocolate colored trousers, a crisp cream shirt Blaine could wear alone or with an ascot (or one of the charming bowties Blaine liked to wear) and a green and gold brocade vest. The shirt actually ended up being the most time consuming, but he got it all done fairly quickly, staying up late and cutting and measuring and sewing by the light of a lantern. He wanted Blaine to have time to wear it before… before the end of the festival and he had to leave Folaigh.

Blaine's time in Folaigh was limited and coming to an end much too quickly for Kurt's liking. He tried not to think about it too much. Not wanting anything to spoil the time he had left with Blaine. He knew Blaine thought they would keep in touch after he left. Blaine didn't understand that there was a time limit on their relationship, and how could he? Kurt hadn't told him, he wasn't allowed too. The only times Kurt really let himself think about Blaine leaving was when he was alone in bed in the middle of the night and he let tears slid down his face as he hugged his pillow to his stomach.

Once the clothes were ready Kurt couldn't wait to give them to Blaine. They were cleaning up the flower cart one evening after the night's festivities were done. Kurt was working on getting up the nerve to tell Blaine about the outfit he'd made him. Was it too much? Would Blaine think Kurt had invested too much time in it? He must have been showing his nerves because he was taking stock of what flowers he'd need for the next day when Blaine reached over and laid his hand on top of Kurt's.

"Are you okay?"

"What? Yes. Of course."

"You're quiet and seem… distracted?" He smiled softly at Kurt, his eyes searching Kurt's face as if trying to discern what was going on in his mind.

Kurt smiled back. "I'm just nervous about telling you something."

"Oh." Blaine's eyes widened a little bit.

"No! Nothing bad!" Kurt laughed. "It's just… I um… I made you something."

Blaine's thick eyebrows shot up. "You made me something?"

Kurt nodded.

"What? Where? Why would that make you nervous?"

Kurt pulled the tarp over his cart. "Come to my house? I'll show you?"

Kurt had anxious butterflies in his stomach all the way home. When they got there Burt greeted them warmly before they went back to Kurt's room together. He had left the clothes there neatly wrapped in brown butcher paper and tied with a green bow.

"Kurt what is this?" Blaine asked sitting on Kurt's bed and playing with the bow.

Kurt sat close to him. "Open it."

Blaine smiled and then untied the bow and unwrapped the paper pulling out the three pieces Kurt had painstakingly sewn for him. Blaine's eyes grew round and his mouth fell open, but he didn't say anything.

"Well?" Kurt asked laughing nervously.

"Kurt, you made these?"

"Yes."

"For me?"

"Of course."

"Oh my god, they're beautiful." Blaine laid the vest on his lap and traced the gold thread with his fingers. "Just gorgeous."

"You like them then?"

Blaine looked up from his gift to Kurt's face with a stunned expression. "Kurt they are wonderful and you made them. I can't believe you…" He stopped and shook his head looking down at the vest. When he looked back up Kurt could hardly read his expression something between awed and happy. Blaine leaned in bringing a hand up to Kurt cheek and kissing him softly. Kurt's heart skipped a beat as he parted his lips and let Blaine deepen the kiss.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you Kurt." Blaine whispered against his lips and Kurt's heart danced in his chest.

"You should try them on." Kurt said eager to see Blaine in his handiwork.

"Okay." Blaine immediately moved back and started pulling his sweater over his head.

Kurt jumped up from the bed. "Oh! I'll… I'll just wait outside. Call when you're ready!" Kurt said leaving the room quickly and shutting the door behind him, his breath fast and his cheeks warm. Luckily his father wasn't out there anymore, probably off to bed already.

Kurt smiled and laughed softly even as his heart pounded in his chest at Blaine's willingness to just strip his clothes off in front of him. It wasn't that Kurt didn't want to… to see, to touch… to... Kurt cleared his throat; he just wasn't ready for that yet.

After a few moments Kurt heard Blaine calling him back in, "I'm ready!"

He opened the door and slowly walked in, his stomach dropping to his toes at the sight before him. Blaine stood in the darkening room the light from the lit lantern flickering over him and wearing the clothes that Kurt had crafted for him. Kurt looked him over, the trousers fit perfect, yes Kurt had meant to make them a little tight in the bum area, he wasn't ashamed. The pale shirt against Blaine's candle lit tan skin was breath taking. And Kurt had been right; the color of the vest did make Blaine's golden eyes stand out. Eyes that were steadily fixed on Kurt's face.

Kurt licked his lips nervously and walked up to Blaine running a hand down his chest feeling the smooth fabric of the vest under his palm as well has the pounding of Blaine's heart. He looked up from his hand to Blaine's eyes. Shadows were dancing over his face and his red lips were parted in a soft smile.

"Kurt I love it." He said and Kurt's heart leaped, suddenly he could see it, he could see a life with Blaine. He looked like he belonged in Folaigh now, with clothes like anyone else's. Kurt saw them in a little cottage together; Blaine would teach or find a job where he could sing and be useful and his joyful self. Kurt would help run his dad's shop and everyday they'd come home to each other and they would be happy and… and  _in love_.

Kurt closed his eyes and another vision filled his mind. He pictured New York the way Blaine has described it to him; all bustling crowds, and tall buildings and holding Blaine's hand as they walked down the street together going to work or school or out to dinner with friends. Happy and in love.

He opened his eyes when he felt Blaine's hand on his cheek.

"What are you thinking?"

Kurt bit his lip and blushed. "I'm glad you like the clothes. You look amazing in them." Blaine smiled and kissed him softly pulling him back to the bed. Kurt was in love with Blaine Anderson. He was in love. And he didn't know what to do about it because soon he was going to lose him.

After Blaine went back to the Jones' for the night Kurt slipped out of the house. He needed to talk to someone, maybe he could find a loophole in the rules that held Folaigh. He walked the short distance to the Howell's home. He knocked on the door, his stomach twisted with nerves. He needed to talk to someone on the council. It couldn't be Mr. or Mrs. Jones they still hadn't warmed to Sam and Blaine. It couldn't be his dad, he wouldn't tell his dad what he was thinking until there was some chance of him being able to do it. The only person he could think of on the council who seemed to give Blaine a chance was Emma.

Carl opened the door looking casual, suit jacket off and shirt partially unbuttoned, like he was enjoying a quiet evening in. "Kurt." He said surprised to see him but he smiled warmly all the same. "What can I do for you this evening?"

Kurt stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I was hoping to talk to Emma." He answered. "I know it's late…"

"Come in, come in." He opened the door wide and Kurt walked into the Howell's cozy and very clean house. Carl led him the living room. "Emma is just putting Johanna to bed."

"Oh, sorry."

Carl sat and Kurt followed suit. "No, no Kurt. You're more than welcome here. Emma told me you helped her wrangle the children at school the other day."

Kurt smiled. "Actually I think Blaine stole the show."

Carl nodded and Kurt tried to read his expression. "Emma mentioned that. And Johanna has been singing his songs nonstop since then."

Kurt smiled brightly and then stood as Emma came in."Oh Kurt." She glanced at him, her big eyes wide. "What a lovely surprise." She offered him refreshments which he turned down and then sat down to join him and Carl.

"I'm sorry to come so late." Kurt started "But I wanted to ask you… about the miracle." Kurt cleared his throat nervously and watched as Carl and Emma gave each other a look.

"I wondered if you might." Emma said smoothing her hands down her knees. "I think I know what you're going to ask, but why don't you go ahead?"

Kurt worried his lip and then nodded. "I know that when you and the other council members used your magic to make Folaigh that you… you made it so they we can't leave here."

"It's not that we wanted to trap anyone here." Emma said as if she knew what Kurt was thinking. "We just didn't anticipate the need for anyone to leave. Not by themselves. We thought that if there was ever a time when the outside world was fit to reenter we'd all do it together."

"Right." Kurt said his chest feeling tight. "So there is absolutely no way for one person to leave… without…" He sighed. "Without ruining it for everyone else?"

Emma looked at him sadly, her eyes always so expressive. "I'm sorry Kurt, but as far as I know if one of us leaves the magic that protects us shatters. We would all have our own individual magic of course, but Folaigh wouldn't be separate from the world anymore."

"But what if you just… redid the miracle?" Kurt asked hopefully. "If someone left and everyone still had their magic couldn't you rebuild the protection?" Kurt looked back and forth from Emma to Carl; Carl was looking down at his clasped hands and not meeting his gaze. Emma just continued to look sad as she pushed a strand of her red hair behind an ear.

"It's isn't that simple Kurt. We… there was a price to pay with the first miracle. Some of us lost our powers you know. And none of our magic is as strong as it used to be."

Kurt let out a heavy breath his eyes filling with tears as he nodded.

"I'm sorry Kurt." Emma said kindly. "We built the miracle out of love. It is love that binds it. We never meant for it to bring anyone pain."

"I know." Kurt said softly standing from his chair. "I was never meant to fall for an outsider."

"We never even considered that possibility."

"I know." Kurt repeated. "Thank you for your time." Kurt said as Emma and Carl got up to walk him to the door.

He walked out into the cool evening air and turned as Emma called him. "Blaine is a good man Kurt. I know things aren't how you want them, but thank you."

"For what?"

"For reminding me that there is good in the world. I think I forgot. Maybe we all have."

Kurt smiled weakly and then headed home, his heart heavy in his chest. Just because Kurt could picture a future with Blaine didn't mean they had a future together.

* * *

Blaine wasn't sure if things in Folaigh got better after that first kiss with Kurt in the garden or if a beautiful man who makes your heart sing and wants to kiss you and hold you close just makes everything seem better. Either way Blaine found it easier to be in Folaigh.

There were still curious and sometimes angry glances sent his way, but he was also getting to know a few more of the people here. Quinn and Mercedes were a regular part of the group he and Sam spent time with, but there were others too. Twin brother and sister, Madison and Mason, were sweet and friendly and hung on every word that Sam and Blaine shared about New York, particularly fascinated by the idea of movies, something they had apparently never seen before.

"Dude." Sam had come to Blaine with wide eyes. "They didn't get my John Wayne impression or even my Rocky one! I don't think they seen movies at all!"

Blaine wasn't as surprised by that information as Sam was, he'd already put together the fact that everyone here seemed to have lived in Folaigh for a while and that none of them ever left Folaigh. Given that the little town didn't even have electricity the fact that the twins had never seen "True Grit" wasn't a huge shocker.

Even some of the older generation started easing up on him. Emma, who was so reserved when he first met her, seemed to change her mind about him. One afternoon when Kurt offered to help with her class she asked Blaine to come along. Blaine ended up sitting with a group of five and six year olds teaching them songs like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes".

Emma watched him, laughing along with the children. Blaine enjoyed helping out, but the best part of that afternoon was looking up from signing to see Kurt staring at him with rosy cheeks and a wide smile, like he couldn't believe what he was watching and found a great deal of joy in it. Blaine had gotten a kiss from Kurt out of it.

That was one of the many lovely things to come out of Kurt kissing after his horrible confrontation with Dave. They kissed all the time now, and the more they kissed the more Blaine wanted to kiss. It was like an addition; Blaine couldn't get enough of Kurt's sweet, soft lips on his own. And Kurt had this way of moving his hands up Blaine's back while smiling into a kiss that make Blaine want to melt on the spot.

Everything about Kurt was vivid and full of life and though Blaine had a feeling there was something he was missing; there were things about Folaigh he knew Kurt wasn't telling him, still Kurt was… Kurt was the most magical person he'd ever met. He was amazing.

When Blaine thought about going back home to New York, the place he loved most in the world, it suddenly seemed dull and gloomy and overcast. Like Kurt was the sun and when he went home he'd be leaving sunshine behind.

Blaine was sitting cross legged on his bed at the inn, playing with the wreath Kurt had made him when he made the mistake of mentioning his "Kurt is like the sun" thought to Sam who just stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before remarking.

"Whoa dude, have fallen hook line and sinker for this guy haven't you?"

Blaine sighed and put the wreath next to him on the bed. "Sam, what am I going to do? I wasn't supposed to fall for a guy who lives in Ireland. How are we going to make it work?"

"I don't know man." Sam said. "I couldn't make it work with my girlfriend and we lived in the same city."

Blaine bit his lip and nodded.

"Maybe you'll get back to New York and be glad you met Kurt, but once you're home… maybe you won't feel so strongly about him."

Blaine's eyes widened and he looked at Sam as if he'd grown a second head. "That's not going to happen."

San smiled. "I know. You have it bad." He walked over to Blaine's bed and picked up the wreath. "How many of these has Kurt made for you?"

"Just the one." Blaine answered. "Be careful with it."

"Blaine." Sam said holding the wreath up. "This isn't the original wreath Kurt made look at it."

Blaine scrunched his eyebrows up and looked at the flower wreath, really looked at it. The poppies were bright and yellow the leaves green and fresh. The whole thing looked like the flowers had just been plucked and put together. It didn't look like a wreath that had been lying around this room for the past few weeks.

"I… uh." Blaine swallowed not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to be embarrassed that Kurt keeps making these things for you. I think it means he must like you as much as you like him."

"Um… yeah." Blaine said, something like anxiety swirling in his stomach, because as impossible as it was that  _was_  the first and only flower wreath Kurt had made for him.

"I don't know what to tell you to do about your feelings for Kurt." Sam continued putting the wreath back down. "I mean I'm crazy about Mercedes, but we both know that when I leave that's the end of that. Neither of us are thinking about a long distance relationship. But maybe that will work for you and Kurt."

"Yeah." Blaine said still looking at the flowers.

"Speaking of the beautiful Mercedes Jones, I'm heading out, you meeting Kurt soon? Blaine?  _Blaine_?"

Blaine looked up, "Yes. Soon."

Sam left with a smile and Blaine just sat on his bed trying to think of a reasonable explanation for why these flowers hadn't wilted or died. A memory sparked in his mind, something from that night he'd spent in the clearing with Kurt, there'd been these white flowers blooming and for a moment Blaine would have sworn they all turned to face Kurt.

Blaine shook his head. That was ridicules. Blaine's hand unconscionably lifted to touch his head. The spot he'd hit weeks ago when he'd rolled down that hill. Blaine's fingertips started to buzz. A strange tingling feeling he used to feel when he and Sam first got to Folaigh.

Blaine let out a long breath. He was losing it. Kurt was wonderful, amazing, and he was falling hard for him. But just because he thought Kurt was the most magical person he'd ever met didn't mean Kurt was actually magical. Blaine was just being crazy. Right? Blaine's mouth felt dry, he scooped the wreath up and stuck it in his bag, out of sight out of mind. He wasn't going to worry about something so ludicrous.

Blaine went to the square to meet Kurt, they were setting up for the show that evening. It was finally time for Kurt and others to perform their musical pieces. Kurt greeted him by squeezing his hand and Blaine felt tension leaving his body. He'd just let his imagination run wild this afternoon. Nothing strange was going on with Kurt.

He helped Kurt and a few other young people set up for the evening's performance. Making sure all the lanterns were lit, pulling out big wooden pieces that expanded the stage and then setting out rows of chairs. At one point Blaine noticed the town leader, Sue Sylvester, watching him closely, but when he looked back she was gone. Kurt left early to go get ready, he placed his hands softly on Blaine's shoulders and kissed him on the cheek before turning to go.

It was the first time either of them had shown that kind of affection on front of others; he looked around at the people in the square hoping no one would be mean about it. Madison just turned to her brother and said "I knew it!"

Quinn shook her head passing him and whispering "You better be good to him Anderson" but a friendly smile was on her face.

Blaine sat next to Quinn that evening at the performance. Kurt was helping out backstage before he sang and Sam was sitting with Mercedes, they were being all cutesy and couple-y together. Not that Blaine could complain, he knew he and Kurt were in the same boat. Blaine really enjoyed Quinn's company anyway; she was smart and witty and took her apparent defeat for Sam's affections with an easy, cool resilience that Blaine admired.

It turned out that the whole evening was people or groups of people performing a song or two, like a showcase of the town's musical talents. Kurt sang the song he and Blaine had picked out together and was perfect. Mercedes even sang and Blaine was blown away by her powerful vocals.

Blaine enjoyed the performances immensely; lots of old Irish ballads ranging from tragic to humorous. What Blaine didn't know until Kurt came out at the end was that Kurt was closing the evening's performance with a second song.

A piano was on stage already, the one from the school, Blaine had helped a group wheel it in that afternoon and Kurt and the piano player for the church, an older lady with graying hair and a sweet smile, had re-tuned it. He thought that Kurt would play and sing again like he had for his last song, but instead sweet little Mrs. Brennan sat at the piano while Kurt took center stage.

The intro started and Blaine was immediately entranced, the song was melodious and soft. This wasn't a song he'd ever heard Kurt practice. Quinn leaned over and whispered in his ear. "He has been working on this for the last week; he wanted it to be a surprise."

Blaine was about to ask what had inspired that, but then Kurt started to sing and all Blaine could do was sit grounded in his seat with his attention locked on Kurt.

Kurt's eyes shone and his voice rang out over the spellbound crowd, or maybe it was just Blaine that was spellbound, he wasn't paying heed to anything else around him right then. Kurt was singing in a Celtic language and Blaine couldn't understand a word of it, but Kurt's voice and the melody were so beautiful Blaine felt as though everything inside him was being pulled towards the stage, towards Kurt. Kurt seemed to glow under the light of the lanterns, except somehow the light almost seemed to shimmer blue around him. Blaine felt that familiar tingling under his skin.

Quinn leaned over again and softly started whispering a translation of the lyrics. It was a love song and Blaine knew he shouldn't hope it was for him, Kurt might just be singing a well known Irish song, but Blaine did hope it was for him.

"And if I were a blackbird, I'd whistle and sing." Quinn translated as Kurt's voice made its way over the crowd. "I'd follow the ship that my true love sails in, and on the top rigging I'd there build my nest and pillow my head on his warm soft chest."

Blaine felt his heart beat faster. A smile was tugging on the corner of Blaine's lips as Kurt's voice rang out and then his eyes landed on Blaine and Blaine could barely breathe.

"If I were a scholar, I could handle a pen." Kurt sang and Quinn whispered the translation. "One long, loving letter unto him I'd send. I'd tell him my sorrow, my grief and my woes. If I could but find him I'd crown him with gold."

Kurt's blue eyes seemed to pierce him. The song was somehow melancholy and hopeful and when it came to an end the blue lighting faded and the whole square sat hushed for one long moment. Blaine was transfixed his hands shaking a little and his heart pounding.

He was in love. Oh god, how had this happened? He was in love with Kurt, all he could think of while the melody and lyrics swirled through his brain was how in love he was.

Thunderous applause broke out and a huge grin spread over Kurt's face. He took a bow and sent a little wave to Blaine who was still sitting stunned in his chair not even clapping as everyone else stood and cheered and the rest of the performers came out to take their last bows. Blaine's world seemed to have narrowed into a fixed point of  _Kurt, Kurt, Kurt._

Once the performers started leaving the stage and the audience began to break up Blaine snapped out of his reverie. He looked around and stood up, rubbed his palms down his pants nervously. He and Sam had less than two weeks left in Folaigh and then they were heading back to the states.

Blaine swallowed down a heavy lump in his throat and tried to find a way to smile as Kurt came running up to him grabbing both of his hands and smiling so hard his cheeks had to hurt. "What did you think?" He asked excitedly.

"I…" Blaine blinked, trying to find the words."

Kurt's smile fell a little. "Didn't you like it?"

"Kurt you were incredible." Blaine said quickly. "I loved it."

"I know the last song wasn't in English."

"Quinn translated."

Kurt smiled showing his dimples. "It was for you."

Blaine heart swelled in size, feeling like it wouldn't fit in his chest anymore. "Kurt… I."

He honestly had no idea what to say. He had always been lousy at romance. So instead of saying anything that would ruin the moment Blaine just leaned forward, hands pulling Kurt in until he could bring their lips together. Kurt was surprised for a moment and then he let go of Blaine's hands to throw his arms around him and he kissed him back, right there in the middle of the square with who knew how many people watching. Blaine only knew Kurt was there, and that was all that mattered.

They pulled back slowly, Kurt grinning and joyful his eyes full and dancing. Blaine so wanted to say those three words that were pressing against his tongue _. I love you. I love you. I love you._  But he couldn't, not when he didn't know what was coming next for the two of them. Not when he didn't understand why Kurt seemed to want to leave Folaigh bet refused to do so.

"Thank you Kurt, for the song, for my outfit," He was wearing the beautiful clothes Kurt had made him that evening, "For… everything… I just…" He rubbed the back of his neck and watched Kurt's soft expression.

"I know." Kurt said lifting his hand and smoothing his fingers down Blaine's cheek. And for a moment it was like they were both holding back the words they knew the other wanted to say as well. And then the moment was gone. Mercedes came up giving Kurt a big hug.

"Want to go back to my house?" She looked at Kurt and Blaine. "We should have a little post show party!"

They both readily agreed and ended up in the Jones' front room with Mercedes, Quinn, Sam, Mason, Madison, and a few others drinking cider, playing card games, and laughing a lot. Blaine tried to focus on learning the games he never played before but all night he kept stealing glances at Kurt and more often than not would be rewarded by Kurt smiling back at him.

Once it started getting really late Kurt got up from the table where Quinn had just beaten him at a game of Pinochle. He nodded his head towards the door and Blaine got up to follow him.

"Walk me home?" He asked at the doorway and Blaine smiled and nodded. "Um… you could. You could even stay over at my house if you wanted."

Blaine's heart skipped a beat.

"Not to… um… not to  _do_  anything. I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I mean not that I'm against doing things. I just don't feel like tonight's the night. I just didn't want… Not that any night has to be the night. I mean I thought if you stayed over we could wake up and have breakfast together in the morning and that sounded nice and I wasn't thinking about how what I was asking would sound and if you don't want to-"

"Kurt I want too. I get it. Just sleeping over nothing more. That sounds nice." Blaine's heart was hammering in his chest, spending the night with Kurt sounded amazing, and Kurt's flustered explanation of what he meant was adorable. "Um, I'll go grab some things?"

Kurt nodded his face flushed and Blaine quickly went up to his room and grab something to sleep in and clothes for the morning.

When he got back down stairs the party had pretty much broken up, Mercedes lifted an eyebrow when she saw Blaine's bag, and then just smiled and rolled her eyes. Blaine joined Kurt back at the doorway; Kurt let out a deep breath and reached for Blaine's hand. Blaine willingly took his and they walked hand in hand back to Kurt's home, the perfect ending to a perfect night. In the back of his mind though Blaine couldn't shake the heavy feeling that was settling over him. Saying goodbye to Kurt was coming all too soon, and when he left for New York he knew he'd be leaving his heart behind.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of past violence and death.

When they arrived at the Hummel home it was dark and quiet, Burt already in his room asleep. Kurt lit a lantern and Blaine followed him nervously into his room. He'd spent plenty of time in Kurt's bedroom, a lot of that time making out. And he knew that Kurt said nothing was going to happen tonight, and that was fine with Blaine, but still he didn't want to mess anything up. He had never stayed over like this and he felt like it was a big deal.

Kurt lit another lantern in his room and grabbed some things from his dresser. "I'm just going to go changed." He said and Blaine smiled watching him leave the room. Blaine rubbed his hands together and blew out a deep breath. This wasn't a problem. This wasn't something to be worried about. He was just sleeping over. He opened his bag and pulled on his own pajamas, a t-shirt and cotton pants, and was changed and sitting waiting on the bed when Kurt came back. He was wearing a long shirt with some sort of shorts underneath and Blaine stomach flipped over a little because he looked so lovely by the light of the lantern he was carrying.

"Did you want me to sleep on the sofa or?"

Kurt sat down next to him bunching his eyebrows together. "No." He shook his head. "You can stay with me… if you want."

Blaine laughed nervously and decided he had to do something to break the ice so he kissed him, leaning forward with his hand on Kurt' cheek. Just sort and sweet and caste against Kurt's lips, but it made him feel better. If Kurt's smile was any indication he felt better too. Kurt blew out his lantern just leaving the one on the side table lit and crawled into bed, Blaine went around to the other side and followed suit. Kurt turned to blow out the last lantern and then faced Blaine, both of them laying on their sides, only the light of the moon streaming in through the window allowing them to see each other.

"I'm sorry if this is odd." Kurt said. "I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to you yet and… I know you have to go home soon. I just wanted to take advantage of your time here. And… it's odd, isn't it?"

Blaine smiled, his hands pillowed under his head, Kurt didn't want to say goodbye to him so he asked him to stay over, Blaine wanted to laugh, the thought of that making him so happy. "No. Actually, I don't feel weird." He scooted in closer to Kurt. "It's nice."

Kurt smiled brightly before placing a slow kiss to Blaine's mouth then he curled up close, tucked next to Blaine as he draped an arm over Blaine's waist. "Is this alright?"

"Very", Blaine said softly, melting into Kurt's embrace.

Kurt smiled and then whispered, "Goodnight Blaine."

"Goodnight Kurt."

  
  
Having Blaine sleep over turned out to be a wonderful idea. Even if nothing had happened more than sleeping next to each other, it still felt so  _intimate_. Falling asleep next to Blaine and listening to his deep even breaths match Kurt's own was one of the most comforting things Kurt had ever experienced.

He was starting to feel frantic knowing that Blaine had days, 10 days in fact, left here in Folaigh. He felt like he needed this, needed Blaine curled up next to him, his arms wrapped around Kurt's middle and Kurt's head pillowed on Blaine's chest.

Kurt decided he loved waking up next to Blaine just as much as falling asleep next to him. It was one of the most beautiful feelings in the world, like standing in the first snow of the season and catching flakes on your tongue, or watching a shooting star come out of nowhere to fly across the sky, or feeling the sun warm your skin on a perfect summer afternoon. That was what it felt like to be with Blaine.

He wanted to open up to Blaine and give him everything, the only reason he didn't feel ready for anything more physical was because there were secrets he was keeping from Blaine, things he wasn't allowed to say. Kurt hated keeping things from him. Things about Folaigh. Things about himself. It was an invisible barrier between them as real as the barrier around Folaigh. It kept Kurt from being as happy as he knew he could be in this moment. He couldn't believe that a place that was meant to keep him safe was the very thing standing in the way of him being truly happy.

Kurt sighed and thought about his mom, about what had happened to her and how that had lead them to Folaigh, but more about her smile and her laugh and her kind eyes and how much Kurt was sure she would love Blaine. Blaine woke up with a yawn and Kurt turned in his arms to look at him. His hair was crazy in the mornings like this, the way it had been that time they woke up in the clearing. More fizz than curls and absolutely delightful. Kurt reached up and ran his fingers through Blaine's curls and watched him grimace.

"Ugh. I'm sorry you have to see me this way."

"Blaine you look positively lovely right now." Kurt said and watched as Blaine's face lit up in a smile.

"I don't usually wear my curls so free, I usually gel them down. But I don't have any more gel." He was sleepily rambling and Kurt loved him for it.

"I'm sure you look very handsome with your hair done the way you would normally do it. But I hope you don't think it looks bad curly. If anyone ever told you that they were wrong."

Blaine just smiled again. "What were you thinking about when I first woke up? You were so intent."

"You were watching me when I thought you were asleep?"

"I like looking at you. You have such a nice face."

Kurt laughed and tugged Blaine closer. "I was thinking about my mother."

Blaine was quiet for a moment his hand rubbing up and down the small Kurt's back. "Your mother who taught you to sing and has relatives in America and who you use to have tea parties with. It sounds like she was wonderful."

"She was." Kurt whispered.

"That's all I know about her though."

Kurt bit his lip. "Oh. I guess… I… I don't talk about her a lot."

"What was she like?" Blaine asked pressing a sleepy kiss to Kurt's head.

Kurt smiled, his heart doing funny little cartwheels in his chest. "She was… funny and… creative she used to make up these wild bedtime stories. She would pick out a book and open it and pretend like she was going to read it to me and then make something up that would leave me laughing and happy and ready for bed. She had this one perfume she always wore and the top drawer of my dresser still smells like it. She and my dad were so happy, I use to catch them kissing in the middle of doing other things, like making dinner, they would just stop and get distracted by each other."

"She was lovely." Blaine concluded and Kurt nodded.

"She was. She and my dad fell in love young and got married against her parent's wishes. She came from money and my dad was just a working man. But they were happy." Kurt's voice cracked a little and he scooted up so he was face to face with Blaine.

Blaine brushed some hair out of Kurt's eyes and asked so softly it was barely a whisper. "What happened to her?"

"She uh… she was…" Kurt cleared his throat and rolled over to his back staring at the ceiling, but glad Blaine kept his arm around him. He didn't talk about what happened to his mom much, and if he was going to do this he needed Blaine close. All of Folaigh knew why the Hummels had joined their little village, Kurt wasn't sure he'd actually ever told anyone what happened to her himself.

"She was killed." Kurt said not knowing anyway to say this, but directly. "Someone on the street killed her for the little money she was carrying in her purse. It was… it was bad. She um… we didn't know at first, she just didn't come home. And then a constable came over and told us… I…" That was all Kurt could say on the subject his throat clogging with tears.

He had been eight at the time, old enough to understand he wouldn't ever see his mother again, too young to understand how something like that could happen. In fact, he still didn't understand how something like that could happen. Sometimes he hated being trapped in Folaigh, sometimes he understood.

Blaine leaned up on his side, elbow bent and head propped on his hand so he could look down at Kurt. He gently wiped tears from his cheeks. " _Kurt_." He said and sounded like he was going to cry too.

Kurt didn't want that, not now. He didn't need sympathy, he'd had years of that, right now he just wanted Blaine. He reached up and pulled Blaine down into a kiss. Blaine was hesitant at first probably confused by Kurt shifting moods this morning, but he kissed Kurt back and Kurt felt the tight squeeze of pain in his chest unfurl into something warm that only Blaine could make him feel.

  
Burt didn't say anything when Kurt and Blaine emerged from Kurt's room for breakfast, he raised an eyebrow at Kurt, which Blaine translated into Burt saying, "We'll talk about this later" but otherwise he didn't seem to mind. They had breakfast together and it felt homey and easy. Burt was actually very easy to get along with once he liked you, and for some reason that Blaine was eternally grateful for, he seemed to like him.

"I promised the Figgins I would go over and look at their stove today." Burt said as they were cleaning up after the meal. "Will you come along Kurt?"

Kurt glanced at Blaine. Blaine remembered what he'd said about the Figgins and their fear of outsiders. "That's fine. Go help your dad." Blaine said.

"We'll be back soon. You can wait here." Kurt kissed him on the cheek before they left.

Blaine smiled and sighed as they went, he didn't even want Kurt to be gone the short time it would take for Burt to help the Figgins, how was he ever going to manage going back to New York?   
  
He restlessly wandered around the Hummel home, grabbing a book from Kurt's collection deciding to read as he waited. His mind kept drifting back to what Kurt had told him about his mom though. It explained some things; in fact it could be why Kurt was so against leaving Folaigh, maybe he was afraid.

Blaine had been thinking about offering to buy Kurt a ticket to come and visit him in New York. He and Sam had saved a long time to afford this trip to Ireland, but it had ended up being less expensive than expected. And once Blaine got back to the states and worked things out with his stolen wallet, he knew he had a little left in savings.

Would it be enough to purchase another transcontinental flight though? And even if it was, would Kurt want to come? Blaine didn't want to leave Folaigh not knowing when he'd ever see Kurt again. Just the thought of that made fear flare in his chest, but Blaine wasn't going to push Kurt into doing anything he wasn't comfortable with either. Blaine would come back here again if that's what he needed to do.

Blaine had known from the start that Kurt was something special, that he'd never known anyone like Kurt and that he wanted to know him more. He hadn't imagined falling in love though. And he  _was_  in love. It wasn't just an infatuation, or a brief summer fling. He'd never felt this way before, he'd cared about guys, dated guys, been with guys, but he'd always known that he'd never actually been  _in love_.

That was what ended he's last relationship in fact, Tony had been great, they got along well together. And then Tony said he loved Blaine and Blaine couldn't say it back. He'd know Kurt exactly 21 days, was that really long enough to fall in love with someone? Blaine put the book down and thought about Kurt, his face, his voice, his determination, his forgiving heart, his love for everyone around him. Yes, 21 days was more than enough time to fall in love with Kurt Hummel.

Blaine's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door; he got up to find Sam there.

"What are your plans for today?" Sam asked. "Mercedes is busy with her family and Quinn… well I don't think she is happy with me."

"You don't think she might have reason to be upset with you?" Blaine said letting him in.

"Why would she?"

Blaine raised his brows and crossed his arms across he's chest. "You did kind of lead her on… before deciding you liked Mercedes."

Sam sighed, "I didn't mean too."

"I know." Blaine shut the front door behind him. Sam had a good heart; he just didn't think things through. "I'm waiting for Kurt to get back from a job with his dad. You could hang out with us."

"And be big Mr. Third Wheel?"

"It won't be that bad. I think we are helping in the shop today, you're good with your hands, I bet you'd enjoy it."

"Yeah, okay." Sam agreed with a shrug and a smile, "It’s okay for me to wait here?"

"I'm sure it's fine Sam."

Sam nodded and looked around the room. The Hummel's' front room was large, a combination of living room and kitchen. It had a sofa and chairs facing a fireplace on one side and a little kitchen on the other with a table and a wood burning stove and a sink with a pump for water. It was homey and practical and Blaine had started to love it here. Sam was roaming around the room as he picked up a book from a side table in the living room and came back to sit with Blaine at the kitchen table. Blaine glanced at the book.

"You've taken up reading the Bible?" Blaine asked looking at the big black leather bound Bible Sam had brought over.

"What?" Sam said looking up. "No not really… Mercedes is kind of religious though…"

Blaine's smile grew. "Ah, I see."

"I didn't know the Hummel's where, they don't go to church on Sunday."

"No, they aren't really. I guess the Bible could be a family thing."

Sam nodded and opened the book, looking a little bored and Blaine doubted he'd get very far just starting at the beginning and trying to plow through.

"Oh cool, look at this." Sam said turning the Bible in Blaine's direction. Blaine leaned over to look, on the front inside pages was a handwritten family tree, names of husbands and wives and their children's names and birthdates written underneath.

"Hey look! Here's Burt." Sam said and Blaine looked at where he was pointing. There in small, flowing script were the names  _Burt Hummel & Elizabeth (Harrison) Hummel_.

Blaine narrowed his eyes and read it again. "That can't be the same Burt Hummel. This says he was born in 1881."

"Yeah but look, Burt and Elizabeth Hummel had one kid, Kurt Hummel." Sam pointed to the name.

Sam was right, under Burt's and Elizabeth's names was written,  _Kurt Hummel - 23 of May, 1905._

"But that Kurt was born over hundred years ago. It must be a family name."

"Dude, this is weird." Sam said, eyes still scanning the paged. "Look, most everyone has a birth date and a death date like Elizabeth."

Elizabeth (Harrison) Hummel was printed neatly with her birthday and then in someone else's writing the date of her death  _10 November 1913_. She would have been 27 when she died.  


"But look! Look!" Sam was getting excited. "There isn't any death date for Burt or his son Kurt! And no one in the family tree listed after them." He looked up at Blaine who was trying to work out why those dates could be missing. " _Blaine_." He said in an awed voice and something cold shivered down Blaine's spine. "Do you know what's going on here?"

"I think when the Burt and Kurt from a hundred years ago passed away no one updated the Bible." Blaine said, but something was growing in the back of his mind and making his head ache and his stomach feel like lead.

"No! Blaine!" Sam jumped up from the table. "Oh my god!"

Blaine watched him, still seated and trying to slow his swirling thoughts because suddenly odd things were clicking together in his brain.

"Oh my god!" Sam repeated. "Think about it. This town is so old fashioned, I mean I'm not a history buff, but it could be a town straight out of the 1900s, right?"

"Sam." Blaine said trying to warn him not to take this any farther because Blaine was starting to feel a little panicked.

"And not only do they live super old fashioned they don't even know anything about modern times! I had to convince Mason that we'd traveled here on an airplane and not a boat. I'm still not sure he believes me."

"Sam  _please_." Blaine's chest was starting to tighten; he didn't like this at all. Because Kurt didn't know anything about the modern world either. If he moved to Folaigh after his mom's death, wouldn't he know  _something_? And everything in this town looked so old and still brand new, not like antiques, but like things that had been made a long time ago, but hadn't had time to age. And the Kurt in this family tree had lost his mom just like his Kurt had. And he  _knew_  that Kurt was keeping something from him. And then there were the flowers in his wreath that just didn't die… But that was impossible.

Blaine looked up at Sam's excited face and felt a little sick.

Sam didn't seem to notice his distress, he was too worked up. "Blaine! What if when we entered Folaigh  _we traveled back in time?"_

Blaine stood up abruptly almost knocking over his chair. "No."

"That would be so awesome!"

"No." Blaine repeated shaking his head, but he's gut was telling him Sam was on to something here. "I'm going to go find Kurt." Everything was swirling around in his head, all of Kurt's secrets and his refusal to leave Folaigh.

"Blaine can't you see how cool this is? You think something is happening here too, don't you?"

"I don't know!" Blaine's voice came out panicked and too loud, he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"What's going on here?"

Both Sam and Blaine turned to see Burt walking in the house, Kurt behind him.

"Blaine said it would be okay to wait inside." Sam said pointing at Blaine.

Blaine just stood still not able to talk or think, his mind going a mile a minute and his breathing shaky.

"Blaine. Sweetie what's wrong?" Kurt asked rushing towards him. At any other time Blaine would have taken a moment to enjoy the term of affection, but right now his mind was too overwhelmed. Everything Sam said was stupid and ridiculous and impossible and somehow seemed… right.

"What's your Birthday?" Blaine asked breathlessly and Kurt looked at him a little worried.

"I… what?"

"Your Birthday." Blaine pleaded feeling helpless.

"The 23rd of May." Kurt said his eyes roaming Blaine's face trying to catch up with what was going on. Blaine just slumped back down in the chair.

"Kurt." Burt's strong voice called reminding Blaine he and Kurt weren't the only ones in the room. Kurt and Blaine looked at him and Burt pointed at the Bible still open to the family tree. Kurt looked confused for a moment and then his face cleared and went a little pale.

"Blaine I… I can explain." Kurt said his voice higher pitched than normal and a little scared. That, surprisingly was what stopped Blaine from spiraling into the pit of disbelief he'd found himself in. Kurt sounded frightened and he didn't want that.

"Please just tell me." Blaine said. The Bible was circumstantial evidence at best and just because Sam's preposterous idea somehow felt real didn't mean Kurt couldn't explain this all. Kurt glanced back at his dad before sitting down next to Blaine. Burt moved to the table and sat across from them hands folded on the tabletop, Sam joined Burt's other side.

"Did we travel back in time?" Sam asked in amazement.

"No son." Burt said with a smile.

"Did you travel  _forward_  in time?" Sam asked even more impressed.

"We…" Burt furrowed his brows seeming to not know exactly how to answer that question. Blaine turned back to Kurt who was looking at him searchingly and with worry lining his face.

"Is that you?" Blaine said pointing to the name in the family tree.

"Yes." Kurt said softly.

"Were you born in 1905?"

Kurt's eyes started to tear up. "Yes."

"What are you? Where are we?" Blaine asked his throat feeling dry.

Kurt wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand and took a deep breath. "I'm just me." He said quietly. "I'm the same person I was before. And you are in Folaigh, it is a little village in Ireland, you haven't gone anywhere… it's just we are… different here… time is, it's a little tricky."

 _"Time is tricky?_ " Blaine squeaked out, what the hell was going on here? Suddenly he felt like he didn't know Kurt at all. Who was this man sitting next to him?

"Alright… I know this is confusing, but I can explain." Kurt said reaching for Blaine's hands, but for the first time ever, Blaine pulled his hand away. Kurt blinked at him in surprise but then slowly continued. "Some of us here in Folaigh are a little different, we um… we have magic." Kurt said.

"Whoa." Sam breathed out but Blaine just kept staring at Kurt hoping that things were going to start making sense again soon. His head felt like waves were crashing inside of him, it making it hard to focus on what Kurt was saying.

"Um… I… I have some magic and so does my dad-"

"What are you doing!" A new voice rang in the room and everyone at the table looked up to see Sue Sylvester standing in the doorway. Blaine didn't know Sue really, hadn't talked to her at all since arriving. He knew she held a position of power in Folaigh and in light of the new information he was learning that made her suddenly very frightening.

It didn't help that she stormed into the house slamming the front door behind her, her eyes piercing and her mouth fixed into a snarl. "Are you seriously about to share our most guarded information with outsiders!" She yelled very obviously livid. Blaine's panic spiked, his fear suddenly becoming almost blinding. The very intensity of it confusing him and making everything so much worse.

"Sue." Burt spoke out. "You need to understand-"

"Oh I understand!" She said throwing her arms out and making Blaine flinch. "You." She pointed at Kurt. " _You_  were given the task to watch and monitor this  _outsider_." Her arm swung to point at Blaine. "To  _get_ information from him, not  _give_ information to him."

"No Sue-" Kurt said looking back and forth from her to Blaine frantically.

"You what?" Blaine turned back to Kurt, Sue's words ringing in his ears.

"I vouched for you with the council!" Sue continued on her rant as if no one else was speaking. "I told them you could be trusted, that your infatuation with the boy was an only act to win his trust! What are you doing!?"

Kurt stood from his chair and started talking to her, firm and quick and Blaine couldn't keep up. Burt stood to, his voice carrying without having to shout, but Blaine didn't hear anything they were saying his head was buzzing and his heart racing.  _No. No, no no no._ Blaine couldn't contemplate what was going on here, but some things seemed to be sure.

Kurt had used him.

Kurt had lied to him.

Kurt had only been  _acting_. He didn't care about him.  


Kurt… oh god Blaine was such an idiot! Kurt was… he had no idea  _who_ Kurt was. He said he had  _magic_? Did Kurt use magic on him? Was nothing between them real? He felt like lies were piling up between them.  


Blaine shot up from his chair so abruptly that everyone in the room paused and looked at him. Blaine didn't notice, he just stumbled towards the door calling for Sam to follow. The room was starting to feel claustrophobic and stuffy, he had to get out, he couldn't  _breathe_.

"Blaine!" He heard Kurt shout out after him. But Blaine ignored it, he had to leave. He needed to get away from Kurt so he could think. He had to get out of Folaigh.

Blaine murmured something about wanting to go home and then he ran, sprinting as fast as he could out of the house and away from all the confusion and panic that was choking him.

He thought he heard someone running behind him, he hoped it was Sam, but he didn't look back. He didn't slow down when he reached the meadow, his heart pounding as he neared the tree line.

"Blaine please! Stop!" It was Kurt behind him.

Blaine kept running, panting hard and ignoring the stitch in his side.

"Blaine if you leave Folaigh I can't follow you!" Kurt shouted sounding desperate. "I can't go past the tree line!  _Please_!" Kurt sounded near tears if not already crying and as scared and as confused as Blaine felt. His heart hurt to hear Kurt that way. But he couldn't turn around, his feet wouldn't let him. He just ran fast towards the safety of the forest leaving Folaigh and the man who was breaking his heart behind.

Kurt couldn't believe this was happening. Why was Sue here? And why was she projecting such negative emotions? Kurt could feel Sue's intense emotional presence as soon as she entered the room. Her shouting and anger was enough to make most people upset but the fact that she was positively pulsing with panic made it all hard to bear.

Kurt was used to Sue's emotional onslaught. She didn't often project emotion unless she wanted to and when it happened by accident, like Kurt assumed was happening right now, she usually reined it in quickly. When you knew what was going on you could wait it out.

Blaine wouldn't know what was going on.

Not only had that Blaine just stumbled across Folaigh's tightly held secret. Kurt could see it in his face, he was battling with doubt and fear and anger. Kurt didn't know what to say to him, but first he needed Sue to stop yelling and calm down.

"Sue you need to leave." Burt was talking over both Kurt and Sue.

Kurt watched with fist curled and she just kept up her tirade, her projected emotions pulsing through the room. Blaine stood up from his chair abruptly pulling Kurt's attention away from Sue. His face was white and his whole body was shaking.

" _Blaine_." Kurt called hating seeing him that way, but Blaine didn't seem to hear him.

"Sam." Blaine said hoarsely and turned for the door. "I need to go home." And then he was flinging the door open and running. Kurt's heart dropped and then he started forward after him.

"Kurt wait." His father grabbed his arm. "You may just need to let the boy be."

"Dad!" Kurt's own heart was fluttering in alarm and it wasn't because of Sue who was visibly calming down now. "I have to follow him. If he leaves Folaigh…" Kurt closed his eyes a cold shudder of fear running down his body. "He… he might not come back.  _I'll never see him again."_  The words choked in Kurt's throat. Oh god, he never see Blaine again. He glanced at Sam who was sitting stunned and the table and then Kurt turned away from all of them and chased after Blaine.

Blaine had a head start, but Kurt was fast. Blaine raced down the main street to the meadow and Kurt's blood thrummed in his ears. Oh god, Blaine was leaving Folaigh. He couldn't let this happen.

Blaine reached the clearing and Kurt willed himself to go faster trying to shout at Blaine to stop at the same time. "Blaine please!" His voice was scratchy and full of tears. This couldn't be happening. He didn't even know if Blaine had heard his pleas, he just kept running through the clearing towards the forest.

"Don't cross the tree line!" Kurt yelled.  _Please Blaine, please_. "I can't follow you!" He kept pleading with him, but Blaine kept running. Past the place they'd spent the night together and straight to the forest. Kurt was only meters behind him, but then, just like that, it was too late. Blaine crossed over the tree line and Kurt came up a complete stop right before the forest, watching Blaine disappear from sight.

He was gone and Kurt couldn't follow.

"Blaine!" He called and he felt sick and shaky. He slumped down on the ground no longer able to see the man he loved and no way to follow him.

He wrapped his arms around his body to keep himself from feeling like he was going to fall apart. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't go after Blaine and he couldn't make Blaine come back. Unless Blaine came back on his own there was nothing Kurt could do. Had he really lost him? Was this how things would end between them? With Blaine hurt and scared and running form Kurt? Kurt took in a shuddering breath, not even able to cry as he knelt on the ground and felt everything crumble around him.

"Come back Blaine. Please let me explain." Kurt whimpered, his heart aching. "Please just  _come back_."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello dearests! We are finally going to find out what is going on with Folaigh in this chapter, but that means a lot of expository, hopefully it isn't dull. Let me know if you have any questions and as always, thanks for reading!

Blaine ran through the forest, trees and branches whipping by him, he stumbled and fell breaking his fall with his hands and then got up again. He didn't know how long he ran before the panic tightening in his chest started to subside. He knew he hadn't made it that far from Folaigh. He started to slow and then stopped and stood still, looking around at the quiet and calm of the forest. No one else here, no one chasing behind him.

He took a deep breath and tried to steady his heart beat. He sat down on a fallen log and cupped his face in his hands. What had just happened? As soon as Sam started talking about those dates in the Bible he knew he was about to find out something he didn't want to know. And then Kurt and his dad had arrived and started talking about  _magic_. And then Sue Sylvester came in and Blaine had felt… overwhelmed and  _terrified_.

It seemed ridiculous now, running away like a deer from a hunter. Why was he always running away from everything? From his old school when he was younger, from his family, from those men at the bar, from  _Kurt_.

Kurt who wasn't who Blaine had thought he was.

Kurt who had been lying to him and  _using_  him this whole time.

Kurt who must have been laughing at him behind his back, who was only spending time with Blaine to get information from him. Blaine's stomach crawled and he felt like he was going to be sick. The all consuming panic that had overtaken him was gone, but now he had time to really think about what this meant. He'd fallen for someone who didn't even care about him.

Blaine laughed darkly; this  _would_  happen to the man who didn't fall in love. Love would throw it back in his face. Blaine drew in a deep breath and stood. He had to go back. Sam was still there and Blaine didn't really trust anyone in Folaigh anymore. He needed to go back for his friend. He just had to get Sam out without seeing Kurt; his heart couldn't take seeing him. He loved him, he  _loved him_  and Kurt lied to him.

Blaine's hands were shaking and sore from his stumble through the forest, his heart was in his throat, but he was thinking much clearer now, the strange blind panic that had overtaken him gone. He just felt heartsick as he made his way back towards the clearing and carefully down the hill until the trees thinned and…

So much for avoiding Kurt.

There kneeling in the meadow, curled up on himself was the last person in the world Blaine wanted to see. He quietly watched him for a minute. Kurt's arms were wrapped around his stomach and his whole body was shaking, Blaine couldn't see his face very well as it was turned down towards the ground, but he seemed pale and even from here Blaine could tell Kurt's breathing was broken.

Blaine's heart splintered. It dropped in pieces to his stomach and a lump formed in his throat. God, Kurt looked devastated and the sight was painful. He didn't want Kurt to be in pain. He didn't want him to look so small and hopeless.  _Damn it Kurt. Why do you have to do this to me?_

He walked closer to Kurt, but stayed in the trees, Kurt had said something about the tree line and Blaine felt a little safer here. "Kurt." Blaine called out and Kurt's head snapped up. His eyes were wide and wet with tears, and such a light shade of blue that they seemed to look straight through him.

" _Blaine_ " Kurt called softly and Blaine's treacherous heart pulled him forward. He left the trees and knelt down next to Kurt in the meadow. Kurt's eyes were intense; watching his every move as if he looked away Blaine would disappear. Blaine knew the truth though, no matter what was really going on with Kurt or Folaigh or the rest of it Blaine wasn't going anywhere. Not when Kurt looked so lost, he couldn't. Even if being near Kurt made his broken heart twist in his chest.

"Are you hurt?" Blaine asked looking Kurt over and reaching forward to grab one of his hands. He stopped the motion halfway there though, bringing his hand back to his own lap.

Kurt shook his head. "You came back."

Blaine sighed. "I don't know what happened back there." Blaine rubbed his forehead a headache coming on. "I couldn't think and I just had to get out."

"Sue." Kurt said his voice breathy. "She uh… sometimes she can make…she…"

Blaine just watched Kurt as he seemed to struggle with an explanation.

"If you were already afraid or confused her emotions would have made yours stronger." Kurt wet his lips and watched Blaine fearfully, as if he expected his words to send Blaine off in a panic again.

"Oh." Blaine said trying to process what Kurt meant. "You mean like… magic?"

Kurt nodded, his arms around his middle loosening a little. "I thought you were gone for good." Kurt said. "I thought I would never have a chance to explain, that you would just… disappear from my life."

Blaine scrunched his brows and frowned, this was all just crazy. "You have an explanation for all this? Because it seems insane to me. And I don't even know if I believe you about the magic. And… and Sue said you were just spending time with me to get information-"

"No." Kurt said quickly reaching out for Blaine and gently grabbing one of his hands. Blaine let him, because as skeptical as he was and though he was still angry with Kurt it felt so right to have his hand in Kurt's. "The council wanted me get information, but that was never why I wanted to spend time with you. It was just why they let me."

"What does that even mean?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "It means ever since you walked into Folaigh, before that even, when I found you at the bottom of that hill, all I've wanted was to get to know you." Kurt's voice was sounding a little teary but growing in strength as he spoke. "And when I got to know you… Blaine  _please_  believe me nothing between us was a lie. Nothing I felt for you was ever an act."

  
Blaine closed his eyes not able to take the intensity of Kurt gaze; he was looking at Blaine as if maybe his eyes alone could convince Blaine that his words were true. Blaine thought back over the times they'd shared together, singing in the church, watching the stars, laughing and talking, this morning when Kurt had tearfully told Blaine what happened to his mom, the times they'd spent kissing and just being near one another. It felt  _real_ , it felt true. Blaine opened his eyes again to see a tear slowly rolling down Kurt's cheek and Blaine believed him. Of course he believed him. At least about how he felt, but what about everything else?

"So... magic?" Blaine said and Kurt smiled softly, hope lighting in his eyes.

"That's easier to show you." He scooted closer to Blaine so their knees touched and pulled Blaine's hands into his lap. It was only then they Blaine realized they were cut and bleeding a little from his wild run through the woods. "May I?" Kurt whispered and Blaine just nodded, not even knowing what he was agreeing to. Kurt held Blaine's hands in his lap and ran his fingers lightly over them making Blaine shiver at the gentleness of the touch.

A soft blue light started to glow between Kurt's fingers and Blaine's skin and right before his eyes the cuts and scrapes started to close themselves. The little pain they'd been causing fading with them. Blaine held his breath as a familiar tingling feeling started in his hands and then ran up his arms. Kurt pulled his hands back and Blaine lifted his own turning them back and forth stunned to find they were completely healed.

"Oh my god."

"I… um."

Blaine looked back at Kurt.

"You have a scrap on your cheek, I could…"

"Oh… okay." Blaine said dropping his hands and freezing as Kurt leaned forward brushing his fingers against Blaine's face. Blaine winced in pain at first but then the tingling started and the pain in his cheek was gone. Kurt laid his hand on Blaine's cheek and didn't move.

"There, all better." He said softly.

Blaine lifted his hand to place it over Kurt's and hold it there like Kurt had done before their first kiss. "Kurt, I need you to tell me the truth. No more secrets."

"No more secrets." Kurt repeated.

"I want to trust you." Blaine heart rate was speeding up because he  _did_  trust Kurt. Despite his confusion and his previous anger, he trusted Kurt completely and that was such a frightening position to find himself in.  


"You can trust me." Kurt said leaning in. "I... I  _love_ you Blaine." He voice broke a little on the words like he was afraid to say them but couldn't help himself.

Blaine closed his eyes and drew in a long breath a smile growing on his lips. He felt like he was flying suddenly, his heart soaring at those words. God he was in love with this man, and even though he hardly understood anything happening right now he knew this one thing for certain. He loved Kurt Hummel.

Blaine opened his eyes to find Kurt's face just a breath away. Blaine wanted to tell him how afraid and confused he was, but all he could do right then was repeat Kurt's words. "I love you too." Kurt smiled even as another tear rolled down his face and Blaine felt like his heart would melt. Then he leaned in kissing Blaine so soft and sweetly. A spark traveled through Blaine's body as their lips met and Blaine sighed and sank forward choosing to trust Kurt even when he didn't understand anything. Kurt wrapped his arms around him and held him close as their kiss grew more passionate.

They fell backwards onto the ground and Kurt let out a huff and a laugh, Blaine hovering over him and still holding on tight as they continued to kiss. "I love you." Blaine repeated between kisses. "So much."

"Love you." Kurt breathed as Blaine's hands worked down to the hem of his shirt and slid under, moving over the smooth skin of Kurt's stomach to his chest, hitching his shirt up as his hand spread wide to cover as much of Kurt's skin as he could. Kurt's breath caught and he pulled Blaine down on top of him so their bodies were pressed together. Blaine felt dizzy with his desire for Kurt, moving his lips down Kurt's jaw to his neck and loving every little gasp that came from his lips. He wasn't even thinking about how exposed they were at the edge of the meadow; all thoughts were focus on Kurt.

It wasn't until he heard someone clearing their throat above them that Blaine finally seemed to come back to earth. He broke away from Kurt a little to look up to see Sam standing above them.

"Oh god!" Blaine moved off of Kurt quickly, sitting up and watching as a grin spread over Sam's face.

"W-what?" Kurt seemed a little dazed as he blinked up at Blaine not understanding why he'd moved away so fast. Blaine reached a hand down and helped him sit up. "Oh. Sam." Kurt said when he noticed him.

"Uh… yeah." Sam replied. He had two bags in his hands, his and Blaine's. He placed them on the ground and rolled his shoulders. Blaine got up to his feet and Kurt followed suit. "This is not what I expected to find." Sam said looking back and forth between the two of them.

Blaine felt warm all over, from kissing Kurt and also from embarrassment as Sam gave him a knowing look. Blaine glanced over at Kurt whose whole face was pink and he was scrambling to tuck his shirt back in.

"I packed our things." Sam said gesturing to the bags. "I figured you weren't coming back… so." He shrugged.

"Sam I am so sorry." Blaine said stepping towards him. "I freaked out and I just  _left_  you there."  


"It's cool man. I mean you did tell me to come with you and dude… I couldn't do it. They have magic and that is just..." Sam threw his arms out.  _"So cool!_  I realized I was being a crap friend though, if you were that scared I should have followed you. So here I am with our stuff so we can go." He glanced at Kurt with a sly little smile and then back to Blaine. "I mean… if you want to."

"And they just let you leave?"

"Yeah I mean we aren't prisoners here. Right Kurt?" Sam glanced at Kurt and so did Blaine.

Kurt quickly shook his head "Of course not."

"We can leave then." Blaine said feeling uneasy.

"You're leaving?" Kurt whispered and Blaine looked at him closely. The color gone from his face and his eyes wide and frightened again.

Blaine looked back at Sam who just shrugged. "We were going to stay until the end of the festival and well now that I know there is like… actually magic here I kind of wanna stay even more."

Blaine smiled, relief washing over him. "No one is ever going to believe this back home. I don't even believe this."

"But you're… going to stay a little longer?" Kurt asked tentatively.

Blaine nodded. "I guess so… but it would help if you would tell us  _exactly_  what's going on here."

"Oh thank god." Kurt smiled and threw his arms around Blaine's neck taking him by surprised and making him stumble back a little before he wrapped his arms around Kurt holding him tight.

"I'll tell you everything I swear." Kurt said.

Blaine smiled, but wondered if he  _really_  wanted to know everything. Still he didn't want to leave now, there were nine days left of the festival and Blaine was starting to feel like leaving was somehow much more serious than he'd understood. Blaine released Kurt giving him a reassuring smile as he grabbed his bag and Sam grabbed his before walking back to town.  


Kurt tucked his hand in Blaine's and periodically sent him sweet smiles, as if he was worried Blaine might panic again. It was a fair assumption because as they got into town Blaine's breathing did speed up. Everything looked the same but somehow completely different.  _Time is a little tricky here._ Kurt had said and what the hell did that even mean? He was trying to be patient in waiting for an explanation, but this was just so bizarre.

Kurt didn't lead them back to the inn but instead back to his house. Burt was there, but Blaine was grateful to find Sue was nowhere in sight. Blaine didn't think he imagined Burt's lips quirk up in a quick smile before reached out to shake Blaine's hand and then Sam's. "I'm glad to see you're giving us another chance here."

Sam smiled excitedly, "I want to know  _everything_."

Blaine rolled his eyes fondly wishing he could be as at ease and excited as Sam was. Sam was probably imagining himself the hero in an adventurous, magical movie. Blaine couldn't help but realize that this was very real and very strange and if he thought about it too long he would start to worry again.

"I was just heating up some water for tea." Burt said getting out enough cups for all of them. Kurt joined his dad's side helping him get the tea ready and motioned for Blaine and Sam to sit. Soon all four of them were around the table. Kurt bringing his chair close to Blaine's. He didn't know if Kurt was staying near for his own sake or for Blaine's, but Blaine was grateful for it.

"What do you know?" Burt asked looking at the boys and Blaine cleared his throat to answer.

"Kurt can heal people." He said.

"He can what?" Sam asked in surprise and Blaine waited for Kurt so explain.

"I uh… with small injuries and things… I can heal people... not just people. Anything living really."

"Whoa."

"Wait." Blaine said things falling to place in his mind. "That night I fell down the hill."

Kurt nodded. "You actually hit your head really bad. You were bleeding and I… I healed you."

"That's what I felt." Blaine said in awe. "For days I felt this buzz under my skin and it was  _you_."

"It was my magic." Kurt said quietly his lips curling in a smile.

Blaine shook his head in awe. "You helped me more than I thought."

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again after that night and then you two just walked into town."

"About this town." Sam spoke up. "What the hell is up with this place?"

Blaine grinned at Sam's directness. That was exactly what he wanted to ask.

Kurt glance at his father and held his cup so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Blaine reached over to peel one of them off the cup and hold it in his own. Kurt smiled at him a little and glanced down at the table as Burt took a deep breath.

"It started for us when Kurt's mother died." Burt began. "Losing Elizabeth… it was almost more that I could bear."

Kurt glanced up to look at his dad both of them had tears in their eyes.

"Kurt was only eight and I was struggling to take care of him and deal with my own grief. I had a friend, someone who knew about… well about what I always called my 'gift'. I never thought about it as magic. I didn't believe in magic until… well… I'm getting ahead of myself."

"Wait, you can heal people too?" Sam asked and Burt shook his head.

"No. Nothing like that. I can fix things. I'm really good at it. Better than should be possible, I can often fix things that shouldn't be able to be fixed. I guess what Kurt can do with living things I can do with machinery."

"And you didn't think that was magic?" Blaine asked trying to keep up.

"If you've always been able to do something you don't think much of it." Burt shrugged. "My friend though, he knew it for what it was, he'd seen magic himself before."

"By friend he means Mr. Jones." Kurt spoke up. "He was the first one to come to dad with the idea."

"What idea?" Blaine said looking back and forth between them.

"Well, Folaigh was the idea." Burt answered. "Ronald knew others like us who could…  _do things_. And he also knew that many of us had suffered great lost, or discrimination, or hard times. Some of us suffered because of our abilities, others like Kurt and I, were just hurt by the evil in the world. Ronald thought maybe we could use magic to protect ourselves. He was part of a group who wanted to use magic to create a town that would be separate from the rest of the world, a safe haven for people who didn't feel safe anywhere else."

Blaine breathing was becoming tight and Kurt reminded him he was there by softly rubbing his thumb back and forth over Blaine's hand.

"I don't know how interested I was at first. I mean I had lost Elizabeth and magic wasn't going to bring her back. But then… one day Kurt came home from school with split lip. He said some of the kids at school were teasing him and it had gotten rough. That's when I decided, I couldn't protect my Elizabeth anymore, but I could protect my son."

"I… I didn't know that." Kurt said blinking slowly. "I hardly even remember that."

Burt shrugged again. "That night I met up with Ronald and his friends, the ones wanting to create Folaigh. The people that today make up our council. It wasn't long after that that the thing with the cat happened. You remember that Kurt?"

"Of course." Kurt smiled shyly and turned to Blaine. "I found this old mangy cat in an alleyway and brought it home thinking it just needed a bath and some food, but while I was cleaning it up I found that it was hurt really badly. One of its legs was crushed and it was bleeding. It… it broke my heart and I just wanted to fix it."

"I found Kurt on the floor in our kitchen crying over a cat as a blue light filled the room. When he was done that cat was better than new. We had it for the next 7 years."

They both smiled at the memory before they stopped and noticed that both Sam and Blaine were watching them with stunned expressions.

"Right um…" Kurt said. "That's how I found out what I could do. Latter I found out it worked on people and plants too. I use it a lot on my flowers."

"The flowers!"

"That wreath!"

Both Blaine and Sam spoke at the same time.

"Holy crap we're dense." Sam finished.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.

"The wreath you gave me is still as fresh and new as the day you made it."

"Oh… I didn't even mean to do that." Kurt said blushing and looking down at his tea and Burt smiled at him.

"Kurt seems to use his magic when his emotions are the strongest."

Kurt cleared his throat. "Okay... so yeah…"

"Really after that I knew we had to do something. The plan for Folaigh was to take it out of the world. Hide it. It was meant to be unattached. Neither part of the people or the time around it."

"When exactly did this all happen?" Blaine asked feeling antsy again. "Because… if this is Folaigh's Centennial?"

"We founded Folaigh in 1915." Burt answered.

"How old are you!" Sam's eyes grew wide and Blaine felt a little sick. "Do people here not age?"

"No." Kurt shook his head. "It's not like what you are thinking. Time in Folaigh is different. 1915 was only 10 years ago for us. We say it's been a hundred years since the miracle, but it has only been ten for us."

"The Miracle?"

"The magic we used to remove Folaigh from the world." Burt explained. “We literally live most of the time on our own... dimension? I suppose is one way to explain it. Once a year we come back to the real world. It is the only way to keep our magic strong. For a week we stay in the real world before we fade again."

"Except for this time." Kurt spoke up. "We are here a month this time, because 100 years have passed in the real world. It's special."

Kurt and Burt grew quiet waiting for a response. But Blaine couldn't say anything; he was still taking it all in, what this meant. He felt like he was on the cusp of realizing something but his mind wasn't going there yet. Sam was equally silent looking dumbfounded, his tea in front of him not even touched.

"Well?" Kurt finally broke the silence his voice small and tight.

"I…" Blaine blinked and pulled his hand away from Kurt's playing with his teacup for something to do. "What about outsiders?" He asked afraid to ask the real question that was pressing against his mind.

"Oh. Well people from the outside can come and go in Folaigh as they please during the festival, but usually no one finds us. We are here, but most people don't see Folaigh or if they do they forget about it when it is out of sight. You two... you're unique. You saw us, even while we have magic to try to keep us hidden." Kurt explained licking his lips nervously as his fingers tapping against the table, uneasy without Blaine's hand in his. "You aren't the first outsiders we've had here. A few stumbled across Folaigh during our first festival... but they... left."

"But why are you so scared of us?" Blaine asked. "I mean… in all honesty you are the ones who…" He stopped not finishing that thought.

"We are the scary ones?" Burt finished for him.

Blaine nodded.

"Everyone in this town either lost someone, like we did, to the cruelty of the world, or were outcasts for one reason or another. When we made Folaigh we only let people join us that we trusted completely. People we knew were good and just needed a refuge. What we have here is uncommon. There is no violence or crime. We are a family. Outsiders… well they bring the unknown, they potentially bring danger. And I will confess, over the last ten years we may have become somewhat superstitious against anyone not from here. Telling our children that..." Burt sighed, "I'm not proud of this, but we've made outsiders all seem evil, we've started believing that everyone outside of our walls means us harm."

Again there was silence around the table and Blaine felt like he wanted to cry because everything was coming together and he didn't like the answer it was forming. "What happens if you leave Folaigh Kurt?" He asked in barely a whisper because he didn't actually want to hear the answer.

"We lose our protection." Kurt said his eyes watering up. "Folaigh will be stuck here in this time, the miracle will be over."

Blaine nodded. "And what happens in nine days when the festival ends?"

"We disappear again."

"What if we are still in Folaigh when the festival ends?" Sam spoke up sounding worried for the first time.

"You disappear with us." Burt answered

"For how long…" Blaine breathed "Ten years?"

Kurt wiped his eyes with the back of his hand not letting his tears fall. "Ten years for your world, it will only be one year for us."

Blaine nodded again and then got up from the table feeling too antsy to sit still. He walked around the room running his hands through his hair, not caring how he was making it look. The truth settling over him.

Finally he stopped and faced the table. "So we have nine days and then… it's all over. I can't stay unless I want to disappear and you…" He met Kurt's eyes "You were never going to come to New York. We never had a chance." Blaine's voice shook but he didn't let himself cry. "And you knew that from the beginning."

"I never expected to fall in love with you." Kurt said in a broken voice.

"This is messed up." Sam said. "This is really messed up."

Blaine glanced at Sam to make sure he was okay before turning back to Kurt. "I'm… I'm not running away again. I promise, but I just… I need a minute okay?"

"Okay." Kurt breathed and Blaine turned to leave the house, not sure where his feet were going to lead him, but needing fresh air and time to think. Because all this time he knew he was leaving in nine days, what he didn't realize until this moment that leaving meant an end to all his hopes. Once he left Folaigh he would never see Kurt again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello my dear patient readers. I keep hoping I'll be able to go back to twice weekly updates, but so far no luck. This is a longer chapter though so I hope you enjoy that. Also, please note that I changed the rating to M. As always I love to hear from you!

Blaine had been gone for hours. Kurt understood that he had flung a great of information on him and Sam in one sitting. It had to be a lot to take in, maybe too much to take in. So if Blaine needed time to think of course Kurt would respect that. Even if his stomach twisted and his heart ached as he sat on his front stoup waiting for Blaine to come back. Sam had left a while ago to go back to the inn. He said he wanted to talk to Mercedes about all of this. Kurt felt a little guilty; he'd spent so little quality time with Mercedes recently that he had no idea how serious her relationship with Sam was. He needed to make it up to her.

For now though all he could do was sit as the sun started to set and the colorful hues of the sky painted Kurt's skin as he waited for Blaine to come back. And he would come back, he said he wasn't running away again and Kurt had to just trust that. He squeezed his hands together in his lap and shut his eyes tight. He wanted so much to think of a way to make this all work. There had to be a way for him and Blaine to be together.

He opened his eyes and looked up as he heard a noise nearby. Blaine walked up smiling at him before he sat down on the steps, bumping Kurt's shoulder with his own. "Sorry I was gone so long."

"It's alright." Kurt said with a little smile of his own.

"I had to think about… everything."

"And what do you think?" Kurt asked trying to sound steady, even while tension ran through his body.

"Actually I came to the realization that there's nothing I can do to change all this, no matter how much I want too. No matter how much is still confusing to me. And I realized I was wasting time wondering around town, wasting the precious small amount of time we have left together, so I came back."

"Are you angry with me?" Kurt asked knowing that Blaine could be angry with him for keeping so many secrets.

"Of course not. What could you do? I understand why you didn't say anything."

"I wasn't really allowed to."

"I know." Blaine sighed and then wrapped an arm around Kurt's back resting his cheek on Kurt's shoulder. "I wanted you to come to New York." Blaine said softly.

"I know." Kurt said his throat tight. "I wish I could". They were quiet for a moment, Blaine moving his free hand to Kurt's lap and tangling their fingers together.

Blaine was the one to break the silence. "I  _love_  you Kurt."

"I love you." Kurt looked down at him. "Are you staying until the end of the festival?"

"If you still want me too."

"Absolutely. Actually... maybe you could stay here? With me? Until you have to go?"

Blaine straightened up bringing his face close to Kurt's "Okay." He smiled and kissed Kurt sweetly. When he pulled back his face seemed lighter, less worried. "Let's just… let's enjoy the next few days together. There will be plenty of time afterwards, after I… once I'm have to go home. There will be time for regrets. But now Kurt, I just want to be with you."

"I just want to be with you." Kurt said, shakily bringing a hand up to Blaine's neck and leaning in for another kiss not ever wanting to let go of Blaine. They were interrupted by Blaine's stomach growling.

"Oh lord Blaine." Kurt said breaking the kiss. "You haven't eaten since breakfast!"

Blaine chuckled. "I guess the day got away from me."

Kurt stood and pulled Blaine to his feet. "I'll make dinner."

They ended up making the meal together, a simple spread of bread and vegetables and chicken. Burt didn't join them; he'd left earlier in the evening to discuss some things with Mr. Jones. Kurt hoped that meeting went well.

After dinner Kurt led Blaine back to his room where he grabbed an album off his bookshelf and brought it to the bed where Blaine was sitting.

"What's this?"

"This…" Kurt breathed, running his hand down the leather face of the album, "This is everything I haven't been able to tell you about myself." He opened the book and smiled at the first picture. It was of his dad, much younger and with more hair, and his mother, bright and happy, on their wedding day. His mom with soft curls and in a white gown, looking gorgeous, smiling at them from the sepia tones of the photograph.

"Look at your dad." Blaine said with a smile. "He's so young."

Kurt laughed.

"And your mother is gorgeous."

"She was." Kurt whispered. Kurt flipped through the pages. It wasn't just photos, there was his parents wedding invitation, and some pressed flowers his mom had added. A little fabric baby shoe next to Kurt's first picture.

"Oh my god Kurt." Blaine exclaimed. "You are too cute."

Kurt just laughed and leaned against Blaine as they continued flipping through. The last thing in the album was a family picture, his parents and him when he was seven. "This was the year before my mom died." Kurt said quietly his fingers hovering over his mom's face as if he could somehow touch her through the paper. "We don't have any pictures after that." Kurt cleared his throat and looked up at Blaine. Kurt knew his eyes were watery but he didn't expect the almost tears in Blaine's own expression.

Blaine leaned forward bringing their foreheads together, as if he didn't know what to say.

"I love you." Kurt breathed against Blaine's skin. Now that they had both finally said those words it was a comfort to say them again and again.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck as Blaine whispered back. "I love you too."

Blaine pressed forward gently and Kurt followed his lead, falling back on his bed with Blaine hovering over him, his lips moving from Kurt's mouth to his jaw and neck. Kurt shuddered and heard his album thump on the floor, but he couldn't care about that when Blaine was pressing hot kisses to his skin.

Kurt moaned and let his hands travel down Blaine's back until he got to the hem of his shirt and his hands found their way underneath to spread over Blaine's smooth, warm back. Blaine's gasped a little and brought his mouth up to Kurt's, their lips sliding together as Kurt hitched a leg up to hook it around Blaine's.

Kurt's whole body was vibrating; he just needed to be closer,  _closer_  to Blaine. He pulled him down, Blaine coming willingly until their chests were pressed together and their legs tangled. Kurt kept one hand on Blaine's broad back as the other he pulled out of Blaine's shirt to tangle in his curls. Their breath was hot between them and Kurt whimpered as Blaine cupped his neck and deepened their kiss. Kurt felt over-heated all over, but in a good way, heat was traveling down his spine and making his pants tight. He instinctively bucked his hips up a little and whined when he felt his erection press against Blaine's hard on in his own pants.

Blaine gasped again and then let go of Kurt rolling off him to lie on his side and gaze at him.

" _Blaine_." Kurt whined but Blaine didn't move back, he just smiled and ran a hand down Kurt's face. "Should we… should we cool off?" He asked and his voice was so husky Kurt felt it tremor though his body.

"Only if you want to." Kurt breathed.

"I didn't think you were ready to uh…  _do_  things." Blaine smiled and Kurt blushed remembering yesterday when he'd asked Blaine to come and spend the night with him, it already felt like ages ago.

"I didn't want to." Kurt answered softly. "When there were still secrets between us, but there aren't anymore."

"Oh." Blaine's face sobered and his pupils widened making his golden eyes look dark. His red lips were parted and his breathing was heavy and Kurt was  _dying_  here not touching him. But he needed to know Blaine was ready for this too. Blaine swallowed and licked his lips. "I want… god Kurt I want you so much."

Kurt smiled and rolled closer to Blaine wrapping his arms around him again and weaving their legs together.

"What do you want Kurt?" Blaine asked and Kurt looked at him a long time before moving his arms from around his neck to play with the buttons of his shirt.

"Maybe… we could take this off?"

Blaine nodded and Kurt started undoing the buttons until he was able to slide the shirt off Blaine's shoulders, Blaine shifted a little and then pulled his undershirt over his head before laying back on his side next to Kurt. Kurt's eyes roamed Blaine's body, hardly able to take it all in. Blaine's golden, smooth chest the light from the lantern nearby flickering over him and making him look like some kind of mythical god. Kurt lightly brushed his fingers down Blaine's chest and Blaine shivered at the touch.

Blaine reached up to the button on Kurt's shirt near his throat. "May I?" Blaine asked and Kurt smiled.

"Of course."

Blaine undid Kurt's shirt and slipped it off of him. There was a beat of silence as they both admired each other, Blaine's eyes looking over him in the same way Kurt was gazing at Blaine. Then they leaned in kissing each other, Blaine rolling on top of him again and letting their hips rock against each other. The feel of Blaine's skin against his own skin was electric.

Kurt was panting and feeling a little warm when Blaine's hand moved down his side to grip his ass while rolling their hips together. Kurt let out a breathy groan and this time he backed up. Blaine looked at him questioningly for a moment before his eyes grew round with surprise. Kurt started undoing his pants slipping them down and off him while Blaine watched. Kurt was left with just a thin pair of shorts underneath and Blaine's whole body flushed with heat.

"God Kurt." He whispered. "You're beautiful."

Kurt laughed and then hooked his fingers in Blaine's waistband. "What do you think?"

"Yes. Yes Kurt." He said and started scrambling out of his own pants, rolling off of Kurt and wiggling on the bed like a fish making Kurt laugh louder. Kurt's throat closed in awe though when he realized that Blaine had done more than just remove his pants, he had stripped his undergarments with them.

"Oh lord." Kurt said his eyes momentarily not able to leave the sight of Blaine's hard, ruddy cock.

"Too much?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt shook his head as his hand started forward, he stopped himself though, fingertips a breath away from touching. "May I?" Blaine nodded and Kurt let his fingers brushed down Blaine's shaft enjoying the moan that it pulled from Blaine's lips.

Kurt flushed all over needing more, wanting to give Blaine all of himself. He slipped his own undergarment off and smiled as Blaine's mouth fell open. Kurt thought he'd feel shyer than this if ever he got to this point with anyone, no one had ever looked at him like this way, but it felt right. Here with Blaine it felt right to have nothing between them, just two people in love and two bodies needing the other. Blaine was the first to move, diving in for another kiss and soon Kurt was on his back again, Blaine over him, kissing him, sloppy and needy and perfect.

Kurt bucked his hips again, this time sliding against Blaine with no fabric between them. Kurt let cried out and took in a sharp breath and Blaine held him closer. They were both trembling and panting, hands griping and sliding as they thrust their hips together. The friction and heat building like nothing Kurt had ever felt before.

He gripped Blaine's back, fingers pressing in and Blaine cupped his face and kissed him over and over between moans as they rocked against each other, momentum building. Kurt let one of his hands grab Blaine's ass and then with a shout Blaine was coming, Kurt could feel the warm spread of it between their bellies.

Blaine whimpered and breathed his name " _Kurt_ " and that sent Kurt over the edge, lifting his hips up off the bed as he climaxed holding tight onto the man he loved as his brain buzzed and pleasure washed over him, a soft blue light filling the air around them. Kurt had never felt this way before, never knew that he could feel so wonderful and connected and dizzy with pleasure.

Kurt wasn't sure how much time had passed but once he was able to think again he was lying on the bed with Blaine's warm, loose body draped over him. Blaine was lightly kissing his neck.

"I love you Blaine. More than I ever thought I would love anyone." Tears were in Kurt's eyes, but they were mostly happy tears. "I'm always going to love you." The words twisted in his chest, but he knew they were true. He was going to spend the rest of his life stuck in Folaigh and loving a man he couldn't have. But not now, now Blaine was in his arms, warm skin slick with sweat and kissing his jaw sweetly. For now everything was perfect.

"I'm always going to love you." Blaine echoed, the words hanging heavy in the air around them.

Kurt scooted out from under Blaine making him roll off him and Blaine made a happy little sighing sound. Kurt grinned getting up from the bed and looking down at this perfect man lying in front of him. He needed to go to the washroom and grab a washcloth or something, but there was no way he was leaving his room and risking running into his dad right now, so instead he grabbed his discarded shirt and wiped himself and then Blaine clean. Blaine watched him with wide eyes and a soft smile the whole time.

Kurt blew out the lantern and lifted the covers off of the bed and motioned for Blaine to follow him. Blaine got up to move under the sheets with him. They immediately wrapped around each other again, holding one another tight, and even though it was a bit too warm Kurt had no intention of pulling away. He was going to stay as close to Blaine as he could for as long as he could. Kurt pillowed his head on Blaine's chest and felt his warm breath tickling his hair, he let his fingers slide gently up and down Blaine's chest, a glowing blue light following the movement.

"I'm never saying goodbye to you." Blaine murmured and he was so close to sleep Kurt wondered if he'd meant to say that out loud. Kurt just held him tighter and let the steady beats of his heart under Kurt's ear lull him to sleep.

Blaine woke up feeling happy and content, like he could just sink into the bed and live there forever. Kurt was slung over his chest, his cheek pressed against his heart, an arm wrapped over him and an ankle hooked around Blaine's. Last night had been perfect and so much more than he ever expected. Being with Kurt in that way was easy and beautiful and left him feeling like he could walk on air. Blaine wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt and planted a kiss to his hair. He kept having these perfect moments with Kurt that just left him wanting more perfect moments. A cold feeling sank into his stomach knowing that the moments were numbered; he squeezed Kurt a little tighter and closed his eyes.

No, he wasn't going to focus on that, later, when he was back in the states he could focus on how much it hurt. Not know, now was his time with Kurt. Unless… unless he  _stayed_. He'd spent a lot of time thinking things over yesterday once he realized that Kurt couldn't leave Folaigh, and that one thought kept coming back to him. Kurt couldn't leave, but maybe Blaine could stay.  


Staying with Kurt meant disappearing when Folaigh disappeared. It would mean giving up everything and everyone he knew. His family, his friends, his dreams of Broadway… but it also meant  _being with Kurt_. He wasn't even sure he'd be allowed to stay. And it was a huge decision and not one he could objectively make with Kurt's naked body curled around his own. He hadn't even mentioned anything to Kurt about this idea; he didn't want to say anything until he was sure.

He knew Kurt had woken up when he shifted his head a little to place a kiss to Blaine's chest. Blaine chuckled. "Good morning."

Kurt lifted his head to look up at Blaine his eyes a shining blue-green like the ocean. He scooted up and moved to press his lips against Blaine's "Good morning." He whispered.

"How do you feel this morning?" Blaine asked rubbing his hand up and down Kurt's arm, he knew they'd gone further last night than Kurt had even gone with anyone and he hoped Kurt didn't regret it.

Kurt's face scrunched up in a smile as his cheeks flushed pink. "Perfect." He pecked Blaine's lips again. "Wonderful." Another kiss. "Incredible" This time the kiss lingered and Blaine brought his hands up to hold onto Kurt's shoulders as he parted his lips and let Kurt slip in tongue in, breathing deeply through his nose as Kurt's whole body settled down on top of him. Kurt broke the kiss only to pepper Blaine's face was little pecks before pulling back to look down at him. "Happy." He smiled. "Are you happy?"

Blaine traced his fingers down Kurt's cheek. "So happy." Kurt's smile was so bright Blaine felt like he could feel joy radiating off of him like sunshine. He wanted to capture this moment in his mind, never to forget it no matter what happened after all of this was over. "What do you want to do today?" Blaine asked and Kurt pursed his lips for a moment, thinking.

"I feel like we could find plenty to do just staying where we are." He smiled a little wickedly and Blaine covered his face with his hands and groaned, his cock twitching with interest.

"What about your dad?" Blaine asked wondering what Mr. Hummel was going to think of Blaine staying in bed with his son all day.

"I don't think we should include him…" Kurt said teasingly

"Kurt!"

"Actually, I think we shouldn't talk about him  _at all_  while we are both so completely naked."  


" _Kurt."_

"He is going to be okay with us together Blaine." Kurt answered. He was on his side resting on his elbow and tracing the fingers of his free hand down Blaine's chest making him shiver pleasantly. "He knows…" Kurt glanced up at Blaine through his lashes looking devastatingly beautiful. "He knows how I feel about you. You're my lightning bolt."

Blaine smiled widely. "What does that even mean?"

Kurt just shook his head and lowered his head to press kisses against Blaine's neck trailing down and down moving his lips over Blaine's chest, licking over a nipple.

"Oh god." Blaine moaned, heat and need filling his body, his desire for Kurt overwhelming all other thoughts.

They didn't end up spending  _all_  day in Kurt's bed, though Blaine would have had no qualms about that. They eventually did have to get up to eat and Kurt wanted to take a bath, so they both cleaned up. Burt wasn't home when they emerged having already left for the shop; Kurt was a little anxious wondering about his visit with Mr. Jones. "I wonder if the whole town knows that… that you know our secret." Kurt asked as they were eating lunch.

"Well…Sue knows." Blaine said between mouthfuls. "And Mercedes probably knows from Sam by now. Does it matter? Will it change anything?"

"Blaine…" Kurt sighed. "Before, you and Sam were just outsiders, some people trusted you and others didn't. But now? Now you're outsiders who hold our deepest secret. People may… worry."

"Worry about what?" Blaine asked not understanding the obvious concern etched on Kurt's face. "What are two guys like Sam and I going to do against a magical town? Kurt.  _A magical town_." Blaine believed Kurt and Mr. Hummel's explanation of things, the evidence was right there, but he was still having trouble really grasping it and wrapping his mind around the fact that there was magic in the world and he had accidentally stumbled (quite literally) onto it.

"You could tell." Kurt said simply.

Blaine watched him for a moment not understanding.

"The fact that Folaigh is a secret is what keeps us safe. Remember outsiders can come and go at anytime during any festival. If people knew… and came looking for us…"

Blaine reached out and laid his hands over Kurt's on the table. "We are never going to tell anyone about this Kurt. I mean… I might talk about you, I can't imagine never talking about you once… I mean…" Blaine cleared his throat pushing aside thought of leaving Kurt. "But Folaigh's secret is safe with us."

Kurt smiled softly. "I know. You'd never do anything to put us in danger, but Blaine if the town knows you  _know_. They may not trust you and Sam the same way I do."

"Oh." Blaine said wondering what that would look like, what would happen. "I guess we need to figure out what's going on outside of your house then."

Kurt nodded. "I would have thought about checking on things earlier if I hadn't been so… distracted." He grinned giving Blaine a quick kiss before standing from the table Blaine following him as they cleaned up lunch and then headed out to the square.

People were already out in large numbers that afternoon, the weather was warm and mild and the day was beautiful. Mercedes and Sam had already opened the flower cart and they joined them. Sam gave both of them a long look. "Well hello to you two. Late start this morning?" He winked.

Blaine gave him a look that he hoped said _. "Don't go there"_  and Kurt just laughed and blushed and looked lovely.  


"Mmm  _hummm_." Mercedes hummed her hands on her hips looking Blaine up and down. Blaine swallowed nervously before her face broke into as smile and she gave both Kurt and Blaine short hugs. "You two were destined since he walked into town." She said poking Blaine in the chest. "I don't know what else I expected."

Kurt smiled at Blaine and Blaine felt his heart flip flop at the word destined.

Kurt started handing out flowers, trading them with those who came by as he gathered information from Mercedes. "So Sam told you about yesterday?"

Mercedes lifted an eyebrow and waited for their latest customer to walk away. "You mean how you blabbed all of our secrets?"

Blaine watched them closely hoping Mercedes wouldn't be angry; he didn't want any of this to be any harder on Kurt.

"Yes, I know." She said "Has no one told you yet?" She stopped talking and smiled as someone else came up to the cart.

Blaine waited nervously glancing at Sam in concern as she finished up trading a bunch of poppies for a small bar of soap. Once they were free to talk again Blaine jumped in.

"Told us what?"

"Sue, my parents, Burt of course… and myself. We're the only ones that know our secret is out and we are going to keep it that way. No reason for people to panic as long as we can trust you two."

"You can!" Blaine hurried to assure her.

"Don't worry." Sam spoke up. "She and I had a long talk about it. She trusts us."

Mercedes shrugged. "I do. Not that I have much choice in the matter, but I do."

"Thank you Mercedes." Kurt said squeezing her arm. They shared a look and Blaine wondered what they were communicating to each other, but it seemed to be just for them so he didn't ask.

It turned out knowing about Foaligh's magic was… for a lack of a better word,  _magical_. Now that Kurt didn't have to hide anything, Blaine felt even closer to him. They skipped the evening's events that night, again going out to the meadow so that Kurt could show him more of what he could do. They sat in the middle of a cluster of lilies, all of which turned towards Kurt as he approached. Like little creatures happy to see their caretaker.

"For some reason my power seems stronger at night. The day time flowers don't react so much." Kurt said while hovering his hand over a patch of flowers and letting the blue light sparkle out of his fingers, Blaine watched in awe as the flowers started to glow, changing colors from white to blue to purple to pink, a miniature light show as the flowers swayed and sparkled with Kurt's magic. Little sparks flitted through the air and when Blaine looked up from the flowers his breath stuck in his throat. Kurt was watching the flowers, a soft smile on his face and little sparks of blue and purple floating around him illuminating his face in color and making him glow. His eyes were a deep blue catching the light drifting around him. He was the most stunning sight Blaine has ever seen.

Kurt looked up and lifted an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You just… do you even know how amazing you are?"

Kurt laughed and his eyes squinted up. "You just aren't use to magic." He said.

Blaine had been sitting cross legged watching Kurt but he crawled forward now bringing his face close to Kurt's. "It isn't because of your magic." He breathed. "It's because of  _you_. You are the most wonderful person I've ever known."

Kurt breathed in quickly cupping Blaine's face and kissing him. They laid down curling up next to each other on the ground, the flowers dancing and sparkling around them as they kissed and held each other. Blaine's heart clenched in his chest, how was he going to do this? How was he going to leave Kurt, never to see him again? Even if he came back to Folaigh when it appeared again they had a ten year wait between them. He thought again about asking someone if he'd be allowed to stay in Folaigh. Kurt would be so worth the cost.

Kurt smiled at him placing a sweet kiss at the corner of Blaine's mouth. "What are you thinking?"

Blaine laced their fingers together, little blue and purple swirls of light circling around their clasped hands. "You've given me so much Kurt, I wish there was something I could give you."

Kurt scrunched up his face. "You don't have to give me anything."

"But you… I have the flower crown you made me, and the clothes, and that song you sang me-" Blaine was cut off by Kurt pressing their lips together.

He pulled back slowly his eyes squinted with the smile on his face. "That's all I need from you." He said and Blaine wrapped his arms around him burying his face in the curve of Kurt's neck. Blaine was thinking he might be willing to give so much more than just a kiss, even if Kurt would never ask for it.

They laid curled around each other enjoying the flowers, and the night air, neither of them seeing the movement near them from the forest.

The next day Blaine made a point of slipping away from Kurt for a little while to go talk to Mercedes. The trouble was getting her away from Sam. He didn't want Sam to know what he was planning, because he would only try and talk Blaine out of it. Kurt was with Burt in their shop and Blaine told him some vague excuse about needing to do something, and he went to the square where he knew he'd find Mercedes, but she was, of course, with Sam.

He was watching them from across the square trying to come up with an excuse to get Mercedes on her own when Quinn walked up and stood next to him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were on Mercedes and Sam too.

"Hey Quinn."

She just nodded still watching Sam and Mercedes, he stood with her in silence for a moment knowing she'd say something if she felt like it. Eventually she sighed and let her arms down. "You two know about Folaigh don't you?"

"What?" Blaine looked at her in surprise. "What do we know?"

She turned to look at him her eyes narrowed studying his face. "You know about Folaigh's magic. Do you also know Sue asked us to spy on you?"

"I don't… I'm not sure what…" Blaine stumbled not waiting to lie to Quinn but knowing Kurt and Mercedes thought people in Folaigh shouldn't be privy to how much Sam and Blaine had discovered.

"It's okay Blaine. I know you know. I can tell. I've always been able to tell things about people. Just like I knew when you and Sam walked into town to try to get to know Sam, that you wouldn't be interested in me. The same way I know that what you feel for Kurt isn’t a passing fancy. The same way I knew when Sam went to the dance performance with Mercedes that I'd lost that battle. " She crossed her arms again and glanced at Mercedes.

"Are you mad at her?" Blaine asked. "At Sam?"

"No. I'm frustrated because  _I_  was meant to keep an eye on him and I wanted to get in good with the council. That didn't work out."

Blaine nodded. "So you never really liked Sam anyway then?"

For a brief moment Quinn's face softened and her eyes grew a little forlorn, but her cool and collected face was back in a flash. "Does it matter?"

Blaine sighed not knowing what to say.

"I think mostly I liked the idea he represented." Quinn continued. "Life out of Folaigh. You get to leave in a week we are stuck."

Blaine's heart clenched in his chest, a week, he only had a  _week_. "Actually Quinn, about that?" If Blaine couldn't talk to Mercedes alone, why not ask Quinn? He knew she'd at least be straight with him. "Do you think an outsider would ever be allowed… to stay?"  


"Stay?" She lifted her eyebrows. "Stay in Foaligh? You  _don't_  want to do that Blaine."

"But... Kurt." Blaine breathed his throat feeling a little tight with the emotion he was holding back.

"Are you really so in love with him that you'd give up  _everything_  for him?" Quinn spread her arms out motioning to the square around them. "This is it Blaine, this is all we have."

"You have neighbors and friends who care about each other and a community that looks out for one another."

Quinn lifted up her hand. "Please. Don't try to tell me what it life like in Folaigh. I don't need the lesson."

"Right. Sorry." Blaine stuffed his hands in his pockets and scuffed the toe of his shoe on the ground.

After a moment Quinn let out a long breath. "But who am I to try to stop someone from going after they want?"

Blaine looked back up at her hopefully.

"I guess if you wanted to stay and the council didn't think you were a threat, they would probably let you stay. I'm sure Burt would vote in your favor, even Sue I would think, and she has a lot of pull."

Blaine smiled, hope swelling in his heart.

"But my father is also on the council and he  _hates_  that you and Sam are here, and he can be very… influential when he wants to. When he found out that Sue asked me to watch Sam he almost lost it, then he pretended to be livid all over again when Sam chose Mercedes over me." She chuckled a little. "He tries to make people think he's a good father."

"You don't get along with him."

"No."

"Same with me and my dad."

She turned to face him fully. "Is that why you want to stay here? To get away from your father?"

"No Quinn. I want…" Blaine sighed wishing he could make her understand. "I just want to be with Kurt."

She nodded curtly, "Just be sure this is what you really want. I'd hate for you to get Kurt's hopes up only to crush them.

Blaine smiled at her under her cool exterior she really did care about people, "I know. I know. I'll think about it a little longer before talking to anyone else about it."

"Good." Quinn smiled a little back. "It  _would_  be kind of nice to have you here."

After talking with Quinn Blaine went back to the Hummel's and waited for Kurt to get home. When Kurt came in he lit up the room with a smile before wrapping his arms around Blaine and kissing his cheek. Blaine could have this all the time if he just stayed in Folaigh. How was he supposed to go back to his old life knowing he'd left the man he loved behind?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that I am going to try very hard to post again this Friday. I'm saying that here to help me hold myself accountable. Glee is almost over (I can't talk about it) and I think this story and the show should end around the some time. Thanks for reading, things speed up in this part. I hope you enjoy it.

Kurt was awake before Blaine, laying in bed and feeling antsy. He felt like he needed to get out of bed and clean the house, or just go for a run, or something to get him  _moving_. His heart was beating too fast in his chest and his legs were twitchy. Yet, the very reason he felt so anxious was the reason he wouldn't get out of bed yet.

The Festival lasted only 6 more days. Meaning the mornings he had left to wake up next to Blaine were quickly dwindling. He shuffled closer to Blaine who was sleeping peacefully, mouth parted and dark lashes soft on his face. Kurt nuzzled against his neck breathing him in and wrapping his arms a little tighter around him.

It was in moments like this, when Kurt's mind wasn't busy like it was during the day, that Kurt could  _feel_  his heart breaking. He shivered even though it was warm with Blaine under the covers of his bed. He'd been right when he told Blaine Burt wouldn't mind him staying here, his dad was very supportive but every once in a while Kurt would catch him giving Kurt long sad glances, he knew what Kurt was trying to ignore.

Kurt was going to fall apart once Blaine was gone.

Kurt couldn't imagine ever loving someone the way he loved Blaine. Of course he could name every available man in town and none of them would ever take Blaine's place, and he didn't want them too. People would call him naive or absurd, knowing Blaine for only a month and yet still saying he was the love of his life. But it was true. Blaine might fall in love again, he had the whole world before him, but Kurt would always hold on to these memories of his one true love.

He would hold on to the feel of Blaine's warm smooth skin, and how he always somehow smelled like fresh earth and sunshine. He'd hold onto the sound of his laugh and the sweetness of his smile. He's golden eyes and his warm voice. The way he always had a kind word for everyone, and how he saw beauty in everything.

Kurt pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's neck and enjoyed how he hummed in his sleep. They'd spent yesterday together, Blaine peppering Kurt with questions about Folaigh, and magic and life in the 1900's, though for Kurt it still felt like he was in the 20th century. Kurt was frozen in time, left behind while the rest of the world continued forward. And that was exactly what would happen to him again when Blaine left.

Blaine shifted beside him and then yawned as his eyes fluttered open. He turned to look at Kurt and a bright grin spread across his face. It made Kurt giggle and feel tingly all the way down to his toes. He pushed aside the thought of saying "Six more days" out loud and instead pressed a kiss against Blaine's lips. No time for worry when he had this beautiful man in his arms.

"I need to head over to the Jones' sometime today." Blaine said with a sleep scratchy voice. "I need to talk to Sam about something."

"Is anything wrong?"

Blaine shook his head and held Kurt against him "No. Just we need to talk about… um… travel plans and stuff."

"Oh. Right." Kurt pulled away and sat up.  _Six days_. Blaine followed suit and they sat in silence for a moment.

"It will be okay Kurt." Blaine said his voice soft.

Kurt smiled and nodded, it  _wasn't_  going to be alright, but talking about how much it was going to hurt wasn't going to help anything either. Blaine pressed a kiss to his cheek and then got up from bed. Kurt blushed as he watched Blaine, enjoying the curve of his ass and the width of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist. Blaine was so unabashed about nudity and Kurt reaped the benefits of that. As his clothes covered his beautiful tan skin Kurt still couldn't believe he was fortunate enough to be with Blaine. No matter what happened he'd always be grateful for that, for everything they had shared together.

Blaine turned and must have caught Kurt staring at him. He crawled up on the bed with an impish smile. "Enjoying the view?"

Kurt looped his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed him hungrily, pressing himself against Blaine's body and tasting his mouth. "Very much." He said as he pulled away getting up from bed himself and smirking knowing he'd left Blaine a little breathless.

Once they were both ready for the day they joined Burt for breakfast. His dad had really warmed to Blaine joking with him and making him feel at home. He felt like Burt would miss him when he was gone too.

Kurt insisted Blaine didn't need to help clean up from breakfast and sent him on his way to go see Sam. The day was bright and lovely and Kurt wanted to spend as much of it with Blaine as possible. The sooner he left, the sooner he a came back.   
  
He should have kept Blaine with him. He shouldn't have let him out of the warm happy bubble they'd created for themselves in the Hummel home, but he had no way of knowing that everything was about to change as he said good bye to Blaine with a short kiss.

Kurt was helping out in the shop today before going to the flower stall that evening. Kurt smiled and bit his lip thinking about Blaine on his way to the shop with his dad. Blaine had become such a constant part of his days that he had a hard time imagining going back to regular life after the Centennial was over.

Six days, they had six days left and then he'd have to make sure Sam and Blaine left Folaigh before it disappeared. Kurt shivered and closed his eyes leaning against the door of his father's workshop. Blaine would be gone and Folaigh would vanish and even if Blaine wanted to come and find him he wouldn't be able to. Not until the next anniversary. Not until the next festival and by then… by then Blaine would have forgotten all about the boy he'd spent a month with ten years ago.

Kurt clutched at his chest as pain started to well in his heart and he forced himself not to cry. A time for crying was coming. There would be tears, so many tears, long painful sobs, Kurt knew it. Not now though, now he still had almost a week left with the man he'd fallen in love with and he wasn't going to waste any of that time in tears.

"You alright?" Burt asked noticing Kurt had just frozen in place.

"Yes." Kurt said hoarsely and then cleared his throat. "I'll be fine."

His father gave him a sympathetic look but didn't press.

He and his dad had just started working when the front door swung open and a hurried Quinn came in breathing heavy as if she'd been running.

"Quinn what's wrong?" Kurt said taking in her ruffled appearance and moving forward wanting to help.

"The council. Part of the council at least…" She glanced at Burt. "They have called a town meeting. I… heard something about it yesterday, thought it was festival related…"

"Wait what?" Kurt asked confused. "It can't be a town meeting if not everyone knows about it." He looked at his dad. "Did you know there was a town meeting today?"

Burt's eyebrows were furrowed and he shook his head looking at Quinn. "What is this meeting?"

"My dad called it." Quinn confessed and Kurt didn't understand why she looked so frantic, but a ball of worry was starting to tighten in his chest. Russel didn't like Sam and Blaine. What else would he call a town meeting about?

"It's about the boys, isn't it?" Burt asked speaking Kurt's worries.

"He wants to run them out of town… he thinks they're dangerous and he knows they know about The Miracle. He is  _so_  angry." She turned to Kurt. "I'm scared of what he might do."

"Oh god." The ball in his chest dropped like a heavy weight.

Burt ran his hand over his head and nodded once. "Let's go." He didn't say anything else as the three of them headed out towards the church. When the got there Kurt flung open the doors and his stomach plummeted. Almost every adult in town must have been here and the whole place was chaotic, people standing and shouting, someone at the pulpit yelling over the crowd. The whole room was charged with fear and anger.

Kurt glanced around for Sue, was she doing this?

Sue Sylvester was in a back corner, he arms crossed over her chest and a steely look on her face. He was surprised she wasn't up front; if something big was going on in Folaigh he would have thought Sue would want to be at the head of it.

"They are outsiders and should have never been allowed to stay!" Kurt glanced up an aisle to see Russell Frabray at the front shouting to everyone. "It was a misjudgment on the part of a faulty council! They are a danger to us!"

Everyone shouted in agreement and Kurt felt sick. What had happened? Why would everyone so suddenly turn against Blaine and Sam?

"And now they know our deepest secret! How can we trust two young, willful,  _reckless_  outsiders to keep that secret! They hold our very lives in their hands!"

The crowd cheered in agreement again and Kurt turned on the spot marching towards Sue. He didn't even pay attention to his dad who was heading up front towards Russell.

Kurt stopped inches away from Sue. "How  _could_  you? Why did you do this?"  


She narrowed her eyes at him. "You think  _I_ did this?"

"I thought we weren't going to tell anyone that Blaine and Sam knew about Folaigh. What have you done?"

Sue shook her head, moving her hands to her hips and glanced up front; Burt had reached the podium and was trying to calm Russell and the townspeople, that's when Kurt felt the peaceful force that was radiating from Sue. She wasn't riling everyone up she was trying to get them to calm down. That still didn't explain why she had told everyone about Blaine and Sam.

"Russell went behind my back planning this meeting." Sue said mot even glancing at Kurt. "I think he's wanted this all along. He hated that I assigned Quinn to watch that boy, and then the idiot went and broke Quinn's silly little heart." Sue shifted her eyes away from the commotion up front to Kurt. "This morning Mercedes Jones and the straw haired kid ran into one of the Figgin's children, Sam scared the living daylight out of him. No doubt the child's head is full of the foolishness his father believes. He ended up tripping and hurting himself."

"What? Is he alright?" Kurt asked quickly. He knew Keevan Figgins, he was small for his age and always scared of everything; he didn't like to think of him hurt.

"Broke his arm, but that isn't all. He swears there are more outsiders, said he saw them in the forest right outside of Folaigh. When everyone heard that, the whole town went crazy. Russell is playing it up saying the outsiders are using fear to prey on us, and that they are bringing in reinforcements."

"That's…" Kurt shook his head. "That's ridiculous. No one could believe that."

"Russell has always been very convincing when he wanted too. Don't listen to him too long Kurt, you'll find you agree with him."

"I wouldn't  _ever_."

"His magic Kurt. It's his magic."

"I thought Russell lost his magic when the Miracle was formed." Kurt said mouth going dry.

"So did I."

Kurt glanced back again seeing that his dad had mercifully somehow started to calm everyone down; they were mostly quiet and listening at least.

"These men mean us no harm." Burt was saying. "They aren't so different than us."

"How did Russell know they found out about Folaigh?" Kurt asked turning back to Sue.

"Oh, I told them that once the meeting got started."

"But…" Kurt rubbed a hand down his face. "Why?"

Sue pulled her shoulders back. "It was needed." She said and walked away from him and towards the center aisle of the church.

Kurt needed to find Blaine and Sam, make sure they were alright and far away from trouble. Kurt could still feel the sense of calm coming off of Sue like gentle waves, but Russell was restless and tired of listening to Burt. He started shouting again and even though Kurt wanted to leave something inside of him was pulled forward by Russell's words.

"We have always said that outsiders are evil! Why else have we so thoroughly separated ourselves from them? And now they are hurting our children and seducing our young people! And there are more outsiders in the forest, lurking right outside of Folaigh. You think they would be here if we hadn't let outsiders in? We have to run them out of town!"

Kurt was shocked as the gathered crowd rose to their feet shouting once again. "Run them out of town!"

Kurt didn't know anything about these other outsiders Russell was talking about, but he could feel the tug of Russell's words, the compulsion to want to agree with him. If Kurt didn't know Sam and Blaine so well he'd be half inclined to start shouting with everyone else.

He wanted to find Blaine but somehow he was rooted in his spot, needing to know what was going to happen next. Sue stepped in front of everyone and raised her hands and the voices died down. Russell may be using his power against his own townspeople, but even he had trouble swaying people from listening to their chosen leader.

"We can't run them out of town." Sue said simply.

"We must! What communion does the light of Folaigh have to do with the darkness of the outside world?" Russell growled.

Kurt's heart clenched in his chest at the anger in Russell's words, afraid his fire would stir everyone up to do more than just run Blaine and Sam out of town.

"We can't run them out of town. Don't be a jackass." Sue said looking at Russell. "They know our secret. If we run them out of town you think two young men are going to stay quiet about a magical town they stumbled upon?"

At Sue's words a hush swept over the crowd.

"They won't tell anyone." Kurt spoke up desperately, he's voice ringing in the chapel and everyone turned to look at him. He didn't want Blaine and Sam run out of town, but he was so scared that these people, his  _friends and neighbors_ , were turning into a reckless mob. What would they do to them if it wasn't safe to make them leave?

"Neither of them would ever give us up." Kurt continued. "I promise you."

"How do you know?" Someone from the crown yelled.

Kurt turned to see Dave, standing with clenched fist. Of course he wanted to get rid of Blaine, but still Dave was his friend, he wasn't unreasonable.

"I… because I trust him. Them, I trust them." Kurt was struggling to find the right words when Russell spoke again.

This time he didn't shout, there was no fire to his voice only a cool and frightening resolve. "Kurt has fallen under the seduction of one of these outsiders. I am sorry, but he's word can no longer be trusted here."

Kurt saw Dave look away from him hanging his head like he believed Russell's words over Kurt's.

The crowd started to murmur and Kurt looked at them, trying to make eye contact with as many of them as he could. These people  _knew_  him, they had watched him grow up, of course they could trust him.

"Kurt isn't under some kind of seduction." Burt said angrily. "Hear him out!"

" _We have to get rid of the outsiders._ " Russell's words sliced through the crowd ignoring Burt, and everyone was silent. Kurt's heart was beating wildly, hating the influence in Russell's voice.

Kurt glanced at the crowd and saw Mrs. And Mr. Jones there, if only Ronald Jones would speak up. He was the pastor this little town and held in very high regard. People would listen to him. And where was Mercedes? Was she with Blaine and Sam right now? And if Kurt hurried away from here could he get them before anyone else did? He needed to go find them, help them get out of town safely.

Sue spoke again, "Clearly there is only one thing to do, for everyone's safety." All eyes turned towards her. "They can't tell anyone about Folaigh if they disappear with us. Who would there be to tell?"

Kurt had turned to leave but stopped at those words and looked back at her.

Sue shrugged her shoulders like what she was suggesting was the easiest thing in the world. "We have to keep them in Folaigh. For good."

* * *

  
"Sam you have to stop that." Blaine said as Sam rammed his shoulder against the thick wooden door again wincing in pain. "You're already hurt."

"If we did it together." Sam said and Blaine shook his head and reached for Sam's arm trying to get him down the stairs with him.

"We tried that already. We just have to wait. They can't keep us down here forever."

Sam sighed and then stomped down the stairs with Blaine. The cellar they were locked in was dark, the only light coming from under the doorway. The people who had thrown them in here had left them a lantern, but hadn't thought to leave anything to light it with.

Sam walked to the back wall and slumped down in to sit on the cold hard floor, Blaine followed him. "This wasn't how my day was meant to go." Sam moaned.

Blaine smiled ruefully thinking of kissing Kurt goodbye only a short time ago before heading out to find Sam. He was going to talk to Sam about his idea of staying in Folaigh to be with Kurt. He didn't expect that when he arrived at the Jones' he would be grabbed by a bunch of loud and angry strangers and bodily dragged through town and thrown into a cellar.

"I still don't understand why we are suddenly being kept prisoners." Blaine said. Sam had hurriedly explained some things to him, but had mostly been intent on trying to break open the cellar door.

"Mercedes and I went out shopping and this kid came running into town looking terrified." Sam sighed. "All I could think about was my little brother and sister you know? And how I'd hate for them to look so scared, so I tried to help him." Sam grew quiet, sifting where he sat and breathing in pain, he'd been hurt somehow and Blaine didn't know how to help him.

"And?"

"And I made it much worse." Sam continued. "Blaine the kid was so afraid of me. I've never seen…" Sam let out a breath and Blaine knew if he could make out his features he'd be frowning. "He  _freaked out_  and tried to run away, but he ended up hurting himself. And then he started screaming that _I_  had hurt him. The next thing I knew three big guys I'd never met came at me. Mercedes was yelling at them to let me go, but no one listened. People crowded around and started shouting and then... well you know the rest. Thrown down here. Then I don't know… a half an hour later? They tossed you in."

"Did they hurt you?"

"I hurt my side when I tumbled down the stairs. It's just a bruise."

Blaine bit his lip, "What happened to Mercedes?"

"I don't know. You think she's okay though, right?" Sam asked, his voice worried. "I mean they wouldn't hurt one of their own."

"I'm sure she is fine Sam. Probably trying to get us out of here." Blaine said leaning his head back against the cold caller wall hoping that was true.

They sat in the dark and quiet for a while, neither of them knowing what to say. "I've been ignoring the hostility the past few weeks." Blaine said eventually. "I knew it was there but… I was so focused on Kurt I didn't really pay attention to it any more. Apparently there are still are people in Folaigh who don't want us here."

"See and I haven't been paying attention from the start!" Sam said bitterly, Blaine could just barely make out him sliding his eyes closed and huffing out a deep sigh. "How much trouble do you think we're in?"

"Mercedes will tell them you didn't hurt that boy. I'm sure they'll believe her."

"Then why are we still down here? And why did they grab you?"

Blaine didn't answer that. He didn't know. He just wanted to see Kurt, to have him explain what was going on. Did Kurt even know he was sitting in some dank cellar?

Blaine wasn't sure how long he and Sam sat in the darkness waiting, but eventually he heard a creak and had to cover his eyes with an arm as light streamed through the doorway. He heard someone coming down the stairs and he stiffened, blinking quick and trying to make out who it was. The door shut again and Blaine saw two people coming down the steps carrying lanterns.

It was Sue Sylvester, not someone he wanted to see right now, and Emma Howell. Blaine was at least grateful for her friendly face. Both he and Sam rose to their feet.

"Oh boys, I am so sorry about this." Emma said clutching at her blouse, but not moving from the last step even as Sue continued forward. "This was never meant to happen."

Sue turned to look at her, "Are you staying there?"

Emma looked down at the ground and then back up, her nose scrunched in disgust. "It is too dirty down here."

Sue just rolled her eyes walking up to Sam and Blaine.

"Well." Sue said looking them up and down. "I'm sorry about how you've been treated today. Not exactly how I had planned things, but it will do."

"You planned this?" Blaine asked, but Sam spoke over him.

"You didn't throw Mercedes down into some dark cellar did you?"

Sue looked at him exasperated. "Of course not. She is up top with the guards demanding to see you."

Blaine opened his mouth to speak but Sue beat him to it. "Porcelain is there too. You should have seen his face when he was told you'd been locked here. I didn't know someone so pale could turn so red."

Blaine clenched his jaw wishing he could just see Kurt. "What is this all about, why are we locked in a cellar?"

"We don't have a prison here in Folaigh." Sue said simply as if that explained it all.

"Why would we be locked in a prison!" Sam shouted, his patience threadbare, "We haven't done anything wrong."

"Right now, you being here is for your own safety. There was something of an angry mob earlier, I was afraid they were out for blood."

"That has to be an exaggeration." Emma spoke up from her place on the stairs. "We are peaceful here in Folaigh."

"Are we?" Sue didn't even turn to look at her. "I'm afraid things are changing."

"We didn't mean to change anything." Blaine pleaded looking back and forth between the women. "I swear."

" _You_  haven't changed anything." Sue shook her head. "I think you arriving, is showing us the cracks that were already here."

"What are you going to do with us?" Sam asked, and yes, that didn't seem like something they needed to discuss.

"For now you are going to stay here." Emma will bring you food and blankets and whatever else you need. You have to stay at least until tomorrow, maybe longer."

"Why? I don't understand what is going on." Blaine said.

"We are voting on what to do with you."

Blaine glanced at Sam and saw him swallow nervously, "Just let us go. We'll leave town. You won't hear from us again." Sam pleaded.

"I, for one, am completely against that idea." Sue said cooly.

"And what is it that you want?" Blaine asked anger rising in his chest.

"I want you both. Here in Folaigh." When both of the boys just stared at her blankly she rolled her eyes and held her lantern out for them to take. Sam reached for it and Blaine saw him wince in pain.

Sue glanced at him. "You're hurt?"

"Your  _peaceful_  Folaigh… Folaigh _ians_ threw me down the stairs." Sam spat.

Sue pressed her lips together in displeasure and then turned away from them.

"Wait!" Sam called "Are you really leaving us here?"

"I'm sorry." Emma said as both she and Sue headed back up the stairs.

Blaine thought about trying to get out while the door was open, but Sue had mentioned guards and he knew they just be caught and tossed back in.

They sat back down in the dark, Sam lighting their lantern with the one Sue had left them, and waited.  
  
"How much pain are you in Sam?" Blaine was worried, because he knew even if he was really hurt Sam probably wouldn't admit it, not when there was nothing to be done about it.

"I'm fine." Sam answered but his voice was strained.

Blaine squeezed his eyes closed and wished for Kurt. Kurt to help him understand what was going on, who would make Blaine feel better about all of this. If everyone was so suddenly angry at him and Sam, Blaine just hoped that Kurt wasn't in any trouble. He needed Kurt safe and sound. His eyes opened again when he heard the creak of the door open.

"Blaine?" A sweet, but worried voice called and Blaine stumbled quickly to his feet as he saw Kurt come down the stairs.

"Oh lord." Kurt said eyes wide and flickering with the light of his lantern. "I can't believe… I don't understand how they could…” he was looking around the cellar eyes falling on Sam who he gave a weak smile too before turning back to Blaine. "I'm so sorry." Kurt whispered.

Blaine just opened his arms and was relieved when Kurt walked right into them leaning against him and wrapping his own arm around him, even while awkwardly holding his light. . "Are you alright?" Kurt asked against Blaine's shoulder. "Sue said that my powers were needed down here."

"It's Sam." Blaine said letting him go and feeling relieved that Kurt would be able to help Sam, he'd already slumped back down on the ground and Blaine knew he had to be in more pain then he was letting on.

Kurt and Blaine knelt down beside him, placing the lantern on the ground nearby. "What happened?"

"They threw him down the stairs." Blaine answered angrily.

Kurt's jaw tightened in anger. "They what?"

"I'm okay Kurt." Sam said but Kurt just shook his head.

"Show me."

Sam carefully lifted his shirt to show his side. It was already purple and blue in a painful looking bruise. Blaine felt sick seeing his friend hurt like this.

Kurt's face softened and he smiled weakly at Sam. "I'm so sorry this is happening to you, but I can fix that." He leaned forward and let his fingertips gently run down Sam's side. Sam shivered and a blue light glowed from Kurt's hand. Blaine could see the tension in Sam's body relax as Kurt trailed his fingers up and down and the bruise started to fade. When he pulled his hand back Sam's side looked as good as new.

"How do you feel?" Kurt asked softly.

"Better." Sam's eyes widened. "Much better. Okay, that was cool.

"You keep fixing us." Blaine said with a smile as Sam pulled his shirt back down, but Kurt wasn't smiling.

"This shouldn't have happened."

"It was just a bruise. It's okay." Sam answered.

"No." Kurt said quickly his eyes tearing up as he looked at Blaine and then Sam. "This shouldn't have happened… everything that…" He sighed, "You don't deserve this. I'm so sorry."

Blaine shook his head. "This isn't your fault."

"When you first arrived I was the one who asked the council to let you stay. They voted on it and agreed because of  _me_. If I had just let you go… you wouldn't be in this mess."

"No Kurt, no." Blaine moved closer to Kurt and lifted a hand to cup Kurt's face. "If we'd left I would have missed out on… on you. I can't be sorry we stayed."

"Same here." Sam said. "I mean, yeah what is happening now is a wrong and I really hope you can help us get out of it, but this place is amazing, I'm not sorry we stayed either."

Kurt just smiled weakly at them.

"But uh… what  _is_  going on right now?" Sam asked.

Kurt let out a deep sigh and took Blaine's hand from his face to hold it in his lap. "Russell Fabray and some others who haven't liked you being here from the start used what happened with Keevan today to rile everyone up against you. Apparently tension has been close to the surface for weeks now and I never even noticed."

"I didn't hurt that little boy." Sam said his voice sounding more worried than Blaine had heard it yet.

"Of course you didn't Sam. No one in their right mind would think you had. And he is fine, I just finished healing his arm, it wasn't even broken."

"What's happening out there?" Blaine asked squeezing Kurt's hand. "Sue said we had to stay down here for the night and maybe longer."

"I'm working on getting you out of here, and I'm not the only one. No way I'm going to let them keep you here it's just… they know." He looked down at the ground and it took Blaine a moment to realize what he was saying.

"You mean that they know Sam and I know about Folaigh?"

Kurt glanced up and nodded. "Yes. Russell didn't at first, he just wanted to run you out of town."

"We would have left if they just  _asked_  us." Sam said exasperated.

Kurt nodded. "I know, but it has gotten more complicated than that. Um… now that they know you are in on our secret they are afraid to let you leave at all." Kurt voice was quiet and he wouldn't make eye contact with either of them.

"I don't understand." Sam said, but Blaine knew what Kurt was saying. "They are putting a lot of effort into making us stay till the last day of the festival, considering we were doing that anyway."

"He means they are going to make us stay in Folaigh, even after the Festival." Blaine explained and watched as Sam's face went a little pale. Kurt looked up his eyes round and worried.

"We… we can't do that." Sam said panicked. "Folaigh will be gone for  _ten years_ , we can't be gone for ten years! What about our families! They can't do this to us!"

Kurt drew in a hitching breath and opened his mouth to speak. "They-"

But Sam interrupted him, standing quickly. "They  _can't_  do this! This is kidnapping. I have parents and a little sister and brother and they won't even know what happened to me!"

Blaine stood with Kurt and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sam, we'll find a way to get you out." He glanced at Kurt. "We'll get Sam out before it's too late right?"

" _Both_  of you will get to go home. I promise. I won't let this happen." Kurt said his first curled and his voice steely. "The town is voting on making you go or making you stay, but no matter how the vote turns out a bunch of us are already planning ways to get you out."

"Who is helping?"

"My dad and the Howell's, which is why Emma volunteered to bring your food even though she hates it down here, and Quinn and Mercedes of course. The McCarthy twins. We'll figure something out." He looked Sam in the face. "I promise to get you out of here. We might be able to break you out later tonight. Before the vote even happens."

"Kurt." Blaine said his heart in his throat.

"You too." Kurt's voice was scratchy like he was about to cry, but he smiled for Blaine. "You'll see Cooper again; I'm just sorry we don't have as much time left as we thought we would."

"But what if… what if I wanted to stay?" Blaine asked his hands shaking a little and his heart skipping a beat.

Kurt blinked, staring at him a moment as the words sunk in. "You can't do that." He whispered and Blaine ignored the dumbfounded look Sam was giving him as he stepped closer and held onto Kurt's arms.

"I don't want to leave you; I've already been talking about it with Quinn. I want to stay. I want… I want  _you_."

Kurt's crystal blue eyes started to water and his bottom lip trembled a little. "Don't say that." He shook his head. "I can't hear you say that and then watch you go. You can't stay. You can't give up your family and your dreams. Not for me. You've only know me a few weeks and you'd just resent me for it later."

"But Kurt-"

Kurt just shook his head again and leaned forward pressing his lips against Blaine's. Blaine kissed him back even though he felt cold and scared. They pulled apart a little, but Blaine kept him close. "I love you Kurt. If they want me to stay I'll stay." Blaine whispered against his skin.

"What about your family?"

"We'll still get Sam out. He can bring some kind of… explanation to Cooper." He glanced over to Sam who had taken a few steps away to give them at least the semblance of privacy.

"Blaine, I don't… I don't know… this is huge and..." Sam said stumbling over his words.

"But you would though. If I stayed, you'd make sure Cooper knew I was okay, right?"

Sam only hesitated a moment, "Of course I would."

Blaine sent him a grateful smile and then turned back to Kurt, he couldn't read his face, eyes wide and cheeks pink. "Don't you want me to stay?

Kurt reached to grab Blaine's hands. "First we need to know how the vote is going to go. If they vote that you have to leave… I don't know what our options would be."

"Are they voting now?"

"No, we are voting in the morning. Sue thought everyone should calm down and have a chance to think through what they want."

"What about the other outsiders seen near town?" Sam asked. "What's up with that?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Only Keevan says he saw them and he is very… impressionable." He let Blaine's hands drop and took a step back. "Emma will be here soon with some lunch, and like I said we might have a chance to break you out tonight."

Blaine nodded his heart tight in his chest. He had expected Kurt to be more excited about the idea of him staying.

"Listen." Sam said his voice sounding strong and resolved. "We can stay here one night. Don't try to getting us out of Folaigh until we know what the vote is. That way if Blaine can stay… he has that choice and I'll have a chance to say goodbye to him."

Blaine felt a swell of warmth fill his heart, he was so grateful to Sam for this. "Sam I don't want you to miss your chance to get home."

"You'll just have to get me out after the vote." Sam said looking at Kurt.

He nodded. "Okay, we could do that. It gives everyone more time to… to think." He looked at Blaine and then glanced quickly away "I'll see you soon." Kurt said with one last glance and a soft kiss to Blaine's cheek and then he was up the stairs and out of the cellar.

Blaine didn't understand Kurt's reaction to him offering to stay. Maybe he didn't believe Blaine really meant it. Or maybe he didn't want Blaine to stay. That thought sliced like a knife to Blaine's heart.

Both Blaine and Sam were quiet for a moment before Sam spoke up.

"You'd really stay for him?"

Blaine sighed and rubbed his eyes, he didn't know how to make Sam understand. "I'd do anything for him."

* * *

  
Kurt sat in the living room with his father that evening, both of them solemn, their thoughts heavy. Kurt couldn't help but worry about Blaine and Sam. He knew Emma would take care of them, but he wanted to see for himself that they were warm and fed and comfortable. He also couldn't stop thinking about Blaine's offer to stay in Folaigh just to be with him. The idea made his heart flit pleasantly, blooming with hope. It also made him shiver with worry.

Having Blaine here would mean  _everything_  to him, it was a desire so near his heart it hurt to think about it, because what were the chances of everything working out that way? Of fate being kind enough to let him and Blaine stay together? And what about all that Blaine would be giving up for him? He didn't know if their relationship would be able to bare it.

"You're awfully quiet." Burt said and Kurt started, so lost in his own thoughts he'd almost forgot his father was there.

"Blaine said he wanted to stay in Folaigh with me." Kurt blurted out, the worlds rolling off his tongue like he needed to say them out loud to make them true.

Burt didn't respond immediately and his continued silence made Kurt anxious. "What do you think about that?"

"I'd welcome him here, you know that Kurt. You think I want to see you two separated? I don't want to see your heart broken."

Kurt smiled a little. "You think it could work?"

Burt sighed and shifted in his seat leaning forward and clasping his hands. "He'd being giving up so much. More than any of us gave to join Folaigh. We all were able to bring our families with us."

"I know." Kurt said quietly looking down at his lap.

"I know that man loves you though, I think you two have a good chance of being very, very happy together. The town would have to vote to let them stay though. If they vote to make them leave we won't be able to stop it."

"Do you think there is a chance they really will vote to have them stay?"

"Sue is going to press for it, I haven't figured out her angel yet, but I think that might have been what she wanted from the beginning.” Burt sighed again. "Blaine would have to be very sure of his choice. And we'd still have to find a way to sneak Sam out."

"I guess there is nothing to do until the vote tomorrow." Kurt sighed feeling a little sick with worry. "How are you voting?"

"I vote for the boys to have their own free will on the matter. I don't like the idea of making Folaigh a prison for anyone. That was never its purpose." He gave Kurt a long look that Kurt wasn't sure he understood.

"What if letting them chose isn't an option though?" Kurt worried. "What if the vote is just, make them go or make them stay?" Kurt's heart sped up at that, now that he had the hope of Blaine staying anything else was going to hurt even more than it would have before. Hope was a dangerous thing.

"I don't know bud. I don't know."

Kurt leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His heart ached, he was meant to have six more days with Blaine before they said their goodbyes, but he could be gone by this time tomorrow. Or… or he could be here for good. Kurt smiled despite everything that was going on. Blaine might be able to stay, how could he not want that?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This chapter is on the shorter side, but hey look! A Friday update! Can't promise to keep this up, but here you are. This chapter has a little smutty, smut before we get to the voting debate. Enjoy and happy Glee day!

Kurt was lying in bed staring at the ceiling in the dark and trying to go to sleep, but his mind was too full. He couldn't let go of the hope of having Blaine here with him, but so much could go wrong before that happened. And he had to decide how he was going to vote in the morning.

If he voted that Blaine stay would Blaine always be looked on as an outsider in Folaigh? And was it right to risk Sam's future for his own happiness? Was it right to ask Blaine to give so much up? Kurt always tried to trust his heart when it came to hard choices but his heart was beating only for Blaine now and he had to think of Sam, and his town, and Blaine's future.

He bit his lip and held back tears, this was such a huge mess and he didn't know how to solve anything. All he knew for sure was that he didn't want to lose Blaine.

He was pulled sharply out of his thoughts by a knock on the front door. He sat up in bed and hurried to pull on a robe before rushing to the front room. If someone was here this late it couldn't be good, had something gone wrong? What if Russell went behind their backs and made Sam and Blaine leave already? What if the townspeople had turned into a mob again and  _hurt them_?  


Kurt's heart was in his throat as he met Burt on his way to the door beating him there, his worry making him quick. He opened the door and stood shocked as he drew in a long breath, before he found his voice, " _Blaine_?"

Blaine and Emma stood on his doorstep. "I'm sorry to come so late." Emma said wringing her hands together as she looked at Kurt and then Burt.

"What's happening?" Burt's voice was loud in the stillness of the nighttime.

Kurt reached for Blaine's hand holding it tight and feeling a little relieved when Blaine smiled at him.

"Carl and a friend are guarding the cellar tonight, and I know you said we weren't going to break them out until after the vote, but… I  _couldn't_." She said and Kurt watched as a shudder ran down her body. "I just couldn't leave them  _there_." Her eyes were wide and her face pale and Kurt looked to Blaine for an explanation.

"Emma couldn't sleep thinking of Sam and I down in that cellar." Blaine said with a small smile.

"It is such a horrible and disgusting place to sleep!" Emma grimaced and Kurt tried to suppress a chuckle. "I took them back to our place thinking we could sneak them to the cellar in the morning before the guard change. But then Blaine asked if he could come here."

"Do you mind?" Blaine asked worriedly and glanced at Burt for his answer.

"Of course not come in son." Burt stood back to make room. "Come in."

Blaine walked in but Emma hung back. "I'm going back home now that I can finally sleep." She said with a sigh of relief. "See you all tomorrow for the vote."

She quickly flitted away like a faerie disappearing into the night and leaving Kurt with the gift he wanted most.

"I'm going back to bed." Burt said with a smile. "Make sure you're back in that cellar early."

"Yes sir." Blaine nodded and Kurt hung onto Blaine's hand tugging him back towards his room.

"I know this is risky." Blaine said once they were behind Kurt's bedroom door. "But when Emma came to get us I couldn't give up the chance to see you again. I mean, we don't know how tomorrow is going to go. If they make us leave I was afraid I wouldn't even have a chance to say goodbye."

Blaine's voice was shaky and Kurt knew if he spoke right now his voice would sound the same. He just drew a deep breath and wiped a tear from Blaine's cheek before wrapping him up in his arms.

"I shouldn't have come." Blaine said holding onto Kurt and tucking his chin over Kurt's shoulder.

"No, I'm so glad you did." Kurt said softly. "There is so much I need to say, and when you offered to stay I didn't have the right words and Blaine." Kurt pulled back a little to look Blaine in the eyes. "Of course I want you to stay. Of course I want you here with me."

Blaine smiled, huffing out a breath as if in relief.

"I just don't know if it is the right thing to do just because I want it." Kurt continued. "I can't ask you to give up-"

"But you aren't asking." Blaine interrupted pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's neck right below his jaw line. "I'm offering." He kissed him again, lower on his neck and Kurt's breath hitched and he had a hard time thinking of a response.

"Yes... but… you…" He breathed as Blaine continued to leave a hot trail of kisses down his neck and then to his shoulder, slipping the loose neck of Kurt's sleeping shirt down to expose his skin as he continued to kiss him. "Blaine… living here… is hard and…" He licked his lips and trembled as Blaine's hands made their way under his shirt to smooth over his lower back and pull him in closer.

" _Kurt_." Blaine hummed as he started to tenderly suck on the curve of Kurt's neck making Kurt's knees weak. "How am I supposed to leave you?"  


Kurt just let out a soft moan in response and grabbed onto Blaine's waist walking him back towards the bed. "Blaine." He said as his legs hit the bed and he pulled Blaine down so they toppled onto the mattress, Kurt rolled them over so he was above Blaine, needing some control in this situation so he could try to get his thoughts across. " _Blaine_ " he repeated as Blaine continued to hold onto his back and kiss at his jaw and neck and Kurt planted hit-or-miss kisses to Blaine's cheek and the corner of his lips and anywhere he could reach. "I'm so scared." Kurt confessed between kisses and that made Blaine pause and look Kurt in the face.

"Scared of what?"

"Of losing you. Of you staying here and Folaigh becoming your prison." Kurt's voice quivered. "If you go, I'm… I'm lost. But if you stay I'm afraid you will be."

"Oh Kurt." Blaine said moving his hands to cup either side of Kurt's face. "I'm not blind. I know staying here isn't going to be an easy thing, but I honestly believe we'll be alright as long as we're together."

Kurt swallowed the tears in his throat and leaned down kissing Blaine's lips, sliding his tongue across the seam until he could dip in. He didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow, or if Blaine was right, but he knew he was here now and Kurt  _wanted_  him so much.

Blaine's hands found Kurt's back again traveling up and bringing his shirt with him until Kurt sat up, his knees on either side of Blaine's waist, and pulled the oversized shirt off of him. He stared down at Blaine whose eye were dark with desire as they roamed over Kurt's body.

Kurt quickly started pulling Blaine's shirt up until he lifted his arms above his head and let Kurt remove it tossing it aside and then going for Blaine's pants not able to peel them off of him fast enough. They both twisted and moved, hands quickly shucking off clothes until there was nothing between them but hot skin and needy kisses.

Kurt worked his lips over Blaine's body, wanting to kiss every inch of him, feeling desperate, like he couldn't touch enough of Blaine at once. This was it, this could be their last time together before he lost Blaine forever and desperation and heat was pulling at his gut.

Blaine must have felt much the same way if how he was bucking and grinding against Kurt was any indication. Kurt felt himself grow harder and harder, twitching against Blaine's hard-on and he knew he wouldn't last long with this frantic pace. He rolled off of Blaine and Blaine followed him, hands pulling Kurt close and lips painting his skin with kisses.

"Wait." Kurt panted. "Wait Blaine."

Blaine pulled back, but he looked at Kurt with cheeks flushed red and sweat at his temples and a feverish look in his eyes.

"I want. I want too…" Kurt knew exactly what he wanted to do with Blaine, something they hadn't yet done, but Kurt needed it. He just wasn't sure how to ask for it.

"What Kurt?" Blaine panted his hands securely holding Kurt's waist, thumbs rubbing over his hips. "You can have anything from me that you want."

Kurt choked back a sob, and not having the right words, he reached for one of Blaine's hands. He smoothed it back over his own ass and down until he could feel Blaine's fingers press up against his opening. "I want you here." Kurt pleaded and Blaine's eyes grew round for a moment before he nodded.

"Okay." He wetted his lips almost nervously and Kurt couldn't help but smile.

"You're going to have to show me how."

Blaine lifted his eyebrows. "What? Oh, right. Um…" He swallowed, "We're going to need something… too…" He seemed lost for words until he breathed out, "lubricate?"

Kurt took in a quick breath and then let out a laugh. He moved away from Blaine and off the bed even though he didn't want to be away from him right now. He made quick work of grabbing the small bottle of oil he'd stashed in his dresser drawers in case he and Blaine ever got to this point. He hurried back to the bed but stopped, as he saw Blaine laid out on the bed, loose and starry eyed staring at Kurt like he couldn't look away.

He was all tan skin and firm lines, and soft stomach and he was  _beautiful_.

Kurt hurried back, leaning over Blaine as he placed the bottle in his hands. "Will you?" he asked and Blaine nodded, kissing him again and then smoothing the oil over his fingers. When he brought his first finger down to Kurt's entrance Kurt couldn't help but hold his breath. He'd never felt anything like this, but Blaine kept kissing him until he relaxed and Blaine slowly pushed in one finger.

Kurt still felt a little frantic, but not as much as Blaine took his time sweetly and carefully pumping his finger in and out of Kurt before adding another and another. It was almost maddeningly slow, but Blaine murmured in Kurt's ear, "I don't want to hurt you Kurt. I... I want to make this perfect for you."

The press and stretch of Blaine's fingers did burn at moments, but Blaine was careful to slow down and wait for Kurt to adjust. After a while it only felt good, it felt incredible. Kurt was on his hands and knees over Blaine's body and while the angle had to be awkward for Blaine Kurt found it helped when he rocked back on Blaine's fingers. He cried out as Blaine's press hit him just right.

"Are you ready?" Blaine breathed and Kurt nodded and moaned as Blaine pulled his fingers out and Kurt felt so empty. It was only for a moment though. Blaine was still spread on his back on the bed with Kurt kneeling over him, but now Blaine directed him to sit up and Blaine used a hand to part his cheeks and Kurt felt the press of Blaine's erection against his entrance. "Is this okay?" Blaine asked his eyes never leaving Kurt's.

Kurt nodded. "Yes,  _god yes_." He lifted himself up a little and the slowly lowered down even as Blaine lifted his hips, causing Blaine to slide deeper and deeper into Kurt. I was like nothing Kurt had ever experienced, so much fuller than even Blaine's fingers. Blaine went slow and even paused now and again waiting for Kurt to be ready. Kurt could see in Blaine's face he was straining, forcing himself to take it easy and Kurt loved him for that.

Finally Kurt sat all the way down and Blaine was completely sheathed inside of him. Kurt let out a low groan of pleasure, he and Blaine should have been doing this all along, it was the most astonishing feeling. Soon they started to rock together, Blaine moving first, thrusting his hips until Kurt rocked above him, moving and rolling like waves in the ocean. Kurt gasped in pleasure every time Blaine would move inside of him. With one thrust Blaine changed his angle and hit a spot that had Kurt shouting Blaine's name and seeing stars.

Blaine moved a hand from Kurt's waist to circle his erection and started smoothly pumping it. Kurt didn't last long after that, tilting his head back and wanting to shout Blaine's name, but not able to even find his voice as he came. The pleasure of it rippling through him as he clenched around the man he loved and felt Blaine come as well, calling out Kurt's name as he filled him.

Kurt couldn't even hold himself up anymore, feeling like pudding as he slumped down across Blaine's panting body, not knowing if it was him trembling or Blaine, or both of them. Blaine slipped out of him and held him close neither of them able to move. Kurt would have stayed like that for the rest of the night, tangled with Blaine forever, even in their sweaty messy state, but he knew Blaine had to be back in the cellar early. He eventually forced himself to move long enough to clean them both up before they huddled under the covers together.

There weren't any words left for Kurt so say so his just breathed against Blaine's neck and whispered his I love yous as they both drifted off to sleep.

Kurt woke early, kissing Blaine awake before crawling out of bed to get Blaine a simple breakfast of cheese and bread. Blaine came to the front room ready to go back to the cellar; he was shifting his weight from foot-to-foot and glancing nervously at Kurt.

"Kurt, this could be it you know." He said, his voice breathy. "I guess I should take the chance to say-"

"No." Kurt interrupted him, his stomach twisting. "Don't." He stepped forward hugging Blaine close and whispering in his ear. "I'm never saying goodbye to you." Repeating the words Blaine had sleepily told him once.

Blaine kissed him deeply before they walk back to the cellar Carl was guarding. The sun wasn't even up yet when Sam met them there.

"Are you sure you shouldn't just leave Folaigh now?" Kurt asked anxiously.

"Kurt, I have to know how the vote comes out." Blaine said looking Kurt in the eyes, willing him to understand. "I need to know if there is a chance for me to stay."

Kurt glanced to Sam.

"I can't leave without knowing what happened to Blaine." Sam said simply and Blaine gave him a pained look, he obviously wished Sam would leave and be safe, but Sam was just a stubborn as Blaine was.

"Alright." Kurt sighed trying not to think of all the ways this could go wrong.

"Kurt you should go." Carl spoke up. "The relief guards will be here soon."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hands kissing him softly before he left not letting himself look behind his shoulder. This wasn't goodbye, he refused to think of it as a goodbye.

Kurt and Burt arrived at the Church early, but many people were already there. The chapel of the church was stuffy and warm this morning, and continued to fill as every adult in Folaigh packed in. The pews were full and people lined the walls and stuffed into the back.

Kurt shifted in his seat next to Quinn and Mercedes, sweating nervously and finally deciding how he was going to vote.

Burt was up front, sitting with Sue, Russell and Ronald Jones. They were the people from the council who were chosen to speak before the vote.

"What is your dad going to say?" Quinn whispered to Mercedes.

"I have no idea. He and my mother were up late talking about it, they kept going back and forth."

"We know my dad is for letting Sam and Blaine chose what they do. Sue wants them to stay and Russell wants them to go." Kurt summed up. "Your dad's opinion will mean a lot."

Mercedes puffed up her cheeks and blew out a breath. "I know."

The room was quiet as Burt stood to speak. Kurt smiled proudly looking up at his dad, people here respected him. He was a good man and they all knew that. They would listen to what he had to say.

"I know you've all spend yesterday and last night thinking about what we should do. What will be best for your families and for Folaigh." He started, "And I trust that you all want to do the right thing." He paused looking out on the crowd; Kurt knew he was looking directly at people, catching their eyes reminding them that he was their friend. "I just want to remind you why we created Folaigh, our purpose was to protect and preserve. To make a safe-haven for those who needed it, to have freedom to be ourselves, away from the violence and prejudices of the world. What I want to ask you now is how can we keep the principles our town was founded on and still keep these men here against their will?

"We all chose to be here, we all had free-will in it. We wanted what was best for our families. None of us was forced here. How can we force others? How can we take away someone's freedom? I have to say I am ashamed of the way we've treated these men, outsiders are not, they are human just like us and we have treated them with the violence and unkindness that we wished to escape."

Kurt sat breathless as his father continued, amazed at the rapt crowd listening to his every word. Quinn leaned in to whisper to him. "I get what he's saying, but he isn't completely right."

Kurt turned quickly to look at her. Surely she wasn't siding with her father.

"Not all of us chose to be here. You and Mercedes and I, the people our age and younger? We had no choice."

Kurt swallowed and nodded. She was right. His dad said Folaigh was never meant to be a prison, but to some it felt that way. Burt continued on to say they should afford Sam and Blaine the same choice all of them had at one point, let them chose if they wanted to make Folaigh their home or not. When he finished Kurt felt better about all of this. Maybe Blaine and Sam would get to decide for themselves. Something he and Quinn never had.

Russell stood next and Kurt's stomach felt like lead, not wanting to hear what he had to say. Russell immediately started shouting about the principles Folaigh was built on taking what Burt had said and twisting it around. He reminded them how they had decided together to separate themselves and how these outsiders should have never been allowed to stay in the first place.

He painted a picture of two unscrupulous young men breaking hearts and taking what they wanted from Folaigh without thought or consequence. He was so angry Kurt could feel it in his bones. And the worst part was that while Kurt was listening to him, Russell… made sense.

Part of Kurt knew that had to be his power working, his words sinking in under Kurt's skin and filling him with doubt. If he was having this effect on Kurt who was madly in love with one of the outsiders he was railing against, how must it be affecting everyone else?

He felt a sharp pinch to his arm and he let out a small yelped turning to Quinn. "What was that for?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "I've lived my whole life with  _that man_ trying to make me think his ideas are my ideas, you think I can't recognize the look? You're falling for it." She hissed and leaned over him to pinch Mercedes as well. "Don't focus on his words, I usually think about the vein protruding from the side of his neck when he's angry instead of what he is actually saying. Find your own thing,  _just don't listen to him_."

Kurt nodded nervously looking around at everyone else who was listening raptly to Russell, his stomach dropped. They were all use to each others' powers here, when you felt Sue influencing your emotions you knew it was her and you could chose to ignore it if you wanted to. But this was new, Russell had let everyone (besides his family at least) think he'd lost his power. And judging by the looks on the faces around him everyone was falling under his spell.

He felt sick for Quinn; she had lived with this her whole life and had never even told anyone. He couldn't imagine how hard that had been on her. Kurt clenched his jaw and purposefully didn't listen to Russell instead distracting himself by thinking about Blaine, his sweet voice and even sweeter kisses, the way their bodies moved together, twisting under covers and clinging to each other with hot breath and needy gasps.

Oh yeah, that did the trick. Russell's word sounded weak and scared and ineffectual now. However, by time he was done yelling and shaking his fist the crowd was riled up, ready to charge out of the church and bodily throw Sam and Blaine out of town right then, or worse.

"Settle down!" Sue yelled from up front. "We are a democracy, we always have been. Sit your asses down, take a deep breath and stop acting like spoiled children!" Her words were harsh but the emotion she was projecting was calm and settling, Kurt hoped people allowed themselves to feel it. Most people sat again, and while they were still murmuring amongst themselves, they let Sue speak.

"Do you know what happens to a pool of water when it sits still without any change?" She asked. "It becomes  _stagnate_ , foul, it becomes useless. Everything needs life, needs change. We made Folaigh to keep ourselves safe from the world but at what cost? This town is full of teachers and inventors and politicians and trades people. People who used to accomplish things. And what have we become? A stagnant pool of unusable water. We don't  _do_  anything anymore, we just  _exist_."

Kurt felt his heart speed up and Quinn and Mercedes sat up straighter besides him hanging on Sue's every word.

"That can't be all we are. We are safe now, we accomplished our mission. But these men from the outside? They bring new life, fresh water. They could stir us again. Make us better. Inspire us with all they know of how the world has changed without us. Maybe with them here we could  _thrive_  once again.  


"You don't have to like them, you don't have to like the decisions I've made in letting them stay. But you need them, we all do. We have to vote to make them stay, not only for our safety, but for our  _growth_."

A lump formed in Kurt's throat, Sue was right about so much. Not about forcing anything on Blaine and Sam, but how Folaigh desperately needed change. Did people not understand how unhappy the next generation here was? They really couldn't exist like this forever.

Kurt had felt more alive since Blaine and Sam arrived. If the whole town could catch that then it could mean all the difference in the world. Maybe Folaigh would stop feeling so  _trapped_.  


Sue kept on, talking about the progress the town needed and what were they going to do in ten more years when their resources started to depleted. They needed new ideas and new vision. They needed to learn of the outside world even if they weren't going to join it again. She finished talking concluding that the only reasonable  _sane_  vote was a vote for the outsiders to  _stay_ , even if they had to force them too. Folaigh would be better for it.

When Sue sat Kurt really had no idea what people were thinking, who they would agree with. They had heard three different choices. It very well may all come down to Mr. Jones. Not only was Ronald respected as the religious leader of the town, Folaigh was originally Ronald Jones' idea. They were all here because of him. He stood and Kurt could almost feel everyone in the room hold their breath.

"I still can't believe you are planning on staying." Sam said, possibly for the fiftieth time.

It was dark, stifling and uncomfortable in the cellar and they were both on edge and Sam seemed to be repeating himself in his disbelief about everything that was happening.

Blaine was serious about staying with Kurt. Was it his first choice? No, but there was no perfect situation here and at least in Folaigh they would be together. And Blaine truly liked Folaigh, despite everything that had happened in the past day; he felt he could make this his home, if the people here let him. Besides the alternative of leaving and never seeing Kurt again wasn't something he even wanted to consider.

"I'll miss you man." Sam said and Blaine smiled sadly at him.

"I'm going to miss you too."

"Just think, if things had gone according to our original plan we would be back in New York already all suntanned and relaxed from our time on some beach somewhere." Sam had a dreamy look on his face that Blaine couldn't make out even by the light of the lantern. "It's weird that we ending up in Ireland at all."

"I think it was meant to be." Blaine replied. "Something Mercedes said about Kurt and I being destined. I think she was right. We were meant to find each other."

"I don't know if I can argue with that, now that we've seen  _real magic_. Maybe you  _were_  meant to be here." Sam grinned and Blaine smiled the first real smile he had since he was thrown down here the day before.

"What if they make us leave though?" Blaine asked his smile slipping with fear pressing close to his heart.

"Then maybe you were meant to meat Kurt, but not stay."

Blaine didn't respond to that, mostly because he was being stubborn and he didn't want it to be true.

They both turned towards the door as sunlight streamed through, someone was coming down the stairs and against the sun Blaine couldn't see who it was. Not Emma, the steps were too heavy, not Kurt either though.

"You two have looked better." A voice called out and Blaine's eyes adjusted enough to see that it was Sue Sylvester, fist on her hips and an expression that could have been a smile or a scowl.

Blaine got to his feet along with Sam, his legs feeling a little asleep, but his heart thrumming too hard to pay attention anything else. "Have you voted?"

"We are about to read the results." She said. "You two should be there since it is your futures we voted on."

"You don't see a problem with that?" Sam replied. "You voted on  _our_  futures while we were stuck down here?"

Sue didn't answer; she just turned and started up the stairs snapping back at them. "Are you coming?!"

Blaine gave Sam what he hoped was an encouraging look before following Sue up. A big burly man Blaine didn't know and Dave Karofsky were waiting up top to "escort" them to the church where the vote had taken place.  _Of course it had to be Karofsky._

They were led to the church, which was full of people but deathly quiet as he and Sam were lead up the aisle to the front. Blaine searched the crowd until he locked eyes with Kurt who sent him a wavering smile. Once they were in front of the gathered crowd Mr. Jones cleared his throat.

"The vote has been counted." His voice echoed around the room and Blaine kept his eyes on Kurt and held hid breath. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello lovelies. Another shorter chapter, but I again hope to post of Friday. Also TW for violence and blood in this chapter.  
> And… don’t hate me okay?

Kurt was only still sitting in his seat because his hands were gripping the edge of the pew so hard. Blaine was looking at him intently and he thought maybe Blaine was trying to read him, find out how Kurt had voted. Or maybe he was just looking at Kurt as a lifeline. Either way Kurt wouldn't look away.

He'd voted for Blaine to stay. Of course he had. When it came down to it voting that Sam and Blaine got to choose for themselves wasn't an option, everyone either had to vote "go" or "stay". He knew that if Blaine had a voice in this he'd vote for himself to stay, and since he wasn't given that opportunity Kurt did it for him.

Or at least that's what he was telling himself. His vote for Blaine to stay in Folaigh may have been purely selfish because Kurt didn't know how to say goodbye to him.

Mr. Jones took a breath and held the paper that had the tally on it. "The people of Folaigh have spoken and by majority vote it is decided that these outs-" He stopped himself. "That Blaine Anderson and Sam Evans will stay in Folaigh until the next festival anniversary."

The oppressive silence that had fallen over the crowd when Blaine and Sam had been led in latest for a breath longer. And then it was shattered, people stood and cheered while others were obviously upset at the outcome and started to shout. Kurt blinked a few times, the decision settling over him. Blaine would stay. _Blaine would stay_. He held back something that could have been a sob or a laugh, relief coursing through him.

He looked up at Blaine. Blaine looked stunned, eyebrows raised and mouth falling open, but then a smile spread over his face. That is until he turned to Sam. Kurt looked as well; Sam's face was pale and his eyes wide.

"You… you have to let me go home." He said weakly.

 _Don't worry Sam! We still have time, we'll get you out._ Kurt thought, but had no way to really comfort him right now.

Blaine squeezed his arm and smiled at him and Sam nodded his head slightly.

Sue raise her hands, a broad smile in her own face, Kurt wasn't use to seeing her quite so happy. It was unsettling. She started talking over the crowd and they slowly started to quiet, sitting back down to hear what she had to say. It was only then that Kurt realized he was standing, clutching his hands together as his heart pounded happily in his chest. He sat down with everyone else and glanced at Mercedes, who had a smile on her face, and then to Quinn who smiled back at him, but it looked a little sad.

"Since we have chosen for the safety of our town that these young men are to stay, we need to insure they do just that." Sue said. "They will be kept under lock and guard until the end of the festival at which point-" She paused to make sure everyone really heard what she had to say. "At which point they will be treated as members of Folaigh and not like outsiders."

Kurt didn't like the lock and guard part of this, it would make getting Sam out harder, but he knew they'd find a way.

"This is preposterous!" Russell roared from the stage. "Have you all lost your minds?! This goes against everything we stand for!"

His face was red and Kurt noticed the vein protruding from his neck that Quinn had mentioned. He looked terrifying, but it didn't matter. Folaigh was a democracy and it was out of Russell's control now.

Kurt started to stand; he didn't know exactly what was going to happen now.  Surely being under guard didn't mean they were going to throw the boys back in that cellar, but all Kurt wanted right now was to have his arms around Blaine. Before he could slide out of the pew though he was stopped by gasps and a shout from behind him. He turned to look just as everyone in the room did and he was frozen in place by what he saw.

Two men walked into the church. Wearing odd clothes that looked similar to what Blaine and Sam wore, and looking around with wide eyes and confusion clearly painted on their faces. Every person in the room held their breath. Kurt had never seen these men before in his life. Two complete strangers had just walked in on their town meeting.

"Oh my god." Someone cried and then chaos broke out. It wasn't like when Sam and Blaine had walked into town at the beginning of the Centennial, and everyone just went back to dancing because they were all in good moods and Sue was sending out peaceful feelings. Now everyone was already on edge, and many were upset by the vote. Folaigh had never had this many outsiders before and who were these men and where did they even come from?

People were panicking, which was insane, the best thing to do now was act as normal as possible and try to get these men to leave before they discovered anything.

"What the hell is this place?" One of the big men said and Kurt glanced from them to the stage. What was the plan here? He hoped that Sue or his dad or Ronald would take the lead and show people what they should do, but they seemed as stunned as everyone else.

"I knew it!" Someone shouted over the crowd and Mr. Figgins got up and stood on a pew. "My son said there were more outsiders and none of you would listen! This whole vote has been pointless!"

 _No. no, no, calm down everyone._ Kurt was grateful when he could finally feel Sue's calming presence and it seemed like others were feeling it as well because people started shutting-up, but then the worst thing that could have happen happened.

One of the men, tall and broad shouldered with a mop of red hair pointed to the stage, everyone followed to look at where he was pointing. It was obviously at Blaine and Sam.

"Are those the American kids who stole from us?" The redheaded man said and Kurt's stomach dropped. Not only did he just make everyone in town think Sam and Blaine were thieves he just linked himself to them. Everyone really would blame them for more outsiders being here. The crowd started stirring again.

"Everyone please." Burt pleaded, "Let's not be hasty."

"This has gone too far!" Russell shouted over him and his voice was dripping with compulsion, all eyes turned to him. "These outsiders have ruined us! They have infected our borders, lied to us about who they are and brought more outsiders with them!"

"Russell you dim-wit!" Sue barked. "Hold your tongue!"

Burt had started moving towards Sam and Blaine, perhaps to get them out of here incase Russell stirred up an angry mob again. Most of the people here might have voted for Sam and Blaine to stay, but that didn't mean they trusted them. And now with the presence of more outsiders and Russell using his power to sway them people weren't thinking clearly. Before Burt could make it very far though, Russell reached into his jacket.

Somehow Kurt knew what was happening before he even saw what Russell was going for, Kurt started pushing his way out of the pew trying to make it to the aisle and then the stage before Russell could do it, but it was useless. A hand grabbing something from a pocket was much faster than a person desperately trying to run to the man he loved.

Everything seemed to slow down, Russell was shouting and then there was a glint of silver, light from the windows catching on the polished, smooth surface of the pistol in Russell's hand.

There were no weapons in Folaigh, it wasn't allowed, but still somehow in the time it took for Kurt to push out of the pew and for his heart to catch in his throat Russell Fabray was pointing a pistol at Sam and Blaine.

"No one move!" He yelled and Kurt made himself still, standing in the middle of the aisle and leaning forward, his body like a magnet needing to get to Blaine. He didn't move closer, he didn't want to be the reason Russell fired that pistol.

"How dare you!" Russell continued, his breathing labored and his face crimson, Kurt could almost imagine he saw steam coming from his nose. "You have ruined everything! You have torn apart the protection we have here! You have defiled our Miracle!" He took a step towards Sam and Blaine, gun shaking in his hand but still pointed at them. "You have brought more outsiders within our borders!"

Russell pointed the gun directly at Blaine and Kurt couldn't even breathe, the air wouldn't go all the way down to fill his lungs, he could only take tiny sips of air as he watched Blaine stand in the pathway of a pistol. _Please, please, please._ Kurt's mind couldn't even form anything more. Just _please_.

"And you have addled the minds of our young people." Russell continued, he moved his arm an inch so the gun was now pointing at Sam instead. "We were content and safe and you have destroyed us! She wants to leave now!"

Kurt felt like he might be sick. He couldn't pull his eyes away from Russell and the pistol, but he caught movement on the stage. Sue was inching closer to him.

"Russell, there is no need for this." She said and her voice was lighter and more soothing than Kurt had ever heard it. He noticed his dad was moving in as well, as if to grab the gun from Russell's hand, and _please no_ , he couldn't bear to have his father in danger too.

"She doesn't even want to be here anymore." Russell shouted, but it caught in his throat like a sob. "I've lost my daughter because of you!" He roared at Sam and Kurt felt a hand gently touch against his arm and turned to see Quinn standing next to him.

"Daddy." She called, tears in her eyes. "Daddy please don't do this." He hadn't heard Quinn call her father daddy in years and as she said it now she sounded so young.

Russell seemed to not even hear her. Sam and Blaine were frozen in place hands up in surrender and faces white as sheets, but Kurt could hardly even look at them, all his focus on was the small, sliver pistol that could end Sam's life. Or Blaine's if Russell moved his arm again.

"It shouldn't have been like this." Russell said leveling the gun at Sam, as Sue placed a hand softly on his back, looking like she wanted to make a move for the gun. Russell wasn't yelling anymore, but tears were streaming down his face. "It shouldn't have been like this." He repeated raising his arm and cocking the gun.

Blaine's head was spinning. His emotions couldn't keep up with what all that was happening. Going from the joy of learning he could stay with Kurt to the shock of having two men from that poker game, a game that felt like a lifetime ago, walk into this church unannounced, and then the terror of having a madman swinging a gun around back and forth between him and Sam. He couldn't keep up and his lungs felt like they were made of led, he could hardly draw in breath.

And then Russell starting aiming the gun solely at Sam's chest and Russell was losing it, sounding like a desperate and lost man, and that is exactly what you don't want when you are looking down the barrel of a gun. Russell was going to do it. Blaine had a moment of realization, Russell Fabray was going to shoot his best friend, the man he considered a bother, the person he'd ignored for the past few weeks, the person who was trapped here in Folaigh because of Blaine. Everything inside of Blaine settled. The mad swirling of his head and the thumping of his heart slowed.

He knew what to do.

Russell raised his arm and Blaine took a long side step to the left hitting Sam hard, hard enough that Sam toppled off of the stage at the same time a loud bang rang through the church.

It all happened too quick, for a moment Russell looked like he was going to surrender to Sue but then there was a shot fired and Sam fell off the stage and everyone started screaming. Kurt drew in a deep breath that almost hurt his lungs and then ran forward. He didn't care about anything besides getting to Sam. He and Quinn rushed down the aisle, Kurt saw in his peripheral vision that Ronald and Burt had tackled Russell to the ground, and oh thank god Sue was leaning down to grab the gun that had fallen from Russell's hand.

Kurt dropped to his knees and skidded to a stop right next to where Sam was laying. Sam blinked up at him in shock. "Sam!" Kurt breathed eyes roaming his body. "Where are you hurt?"

Sam tried to lift himself up and groaned.

"No no. Don't move." Kurt looked up to see that Quinn and Mercedes were kneeling by Sam as well; Mercedes was crying and telling Sam to be still.

"Were you shot?" Kurt asked trying to make his voice stop shaking, hands hovering over Sam's body. "I… I can help."

Sam blinked and shook his head. "I don't think I am." He started sitting up again and this time Mercedes let him.

Kurt let out the breath he was holding; Sam didn't seem to be bleeding, the bullet must have missed him.

"Oh thank god." Mercedes said wrapping her arms around Sam even as Quinn scooted back to not be in the way.

Kurt let out a relieved laugh. He'd been sure Sam had been shot off of the stage. Behind him the room was still in chaos, but it didn't matter, it didn't matter because Sam wasn't shot and everything was going to be alright.

"Kurt." Kurt glanced up, immediately recognizing his father's voice. Burt was looking down at them, face severe. "Kurt. It's Blaine." He said his voice rough and his face ashen.

Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion and something inside him understood before his mind even processed what his father had said. Everything grew muffled and fuzzy. Kurt could no longer hear the crowd behind him, could no longer see Sam safe in Mercedes' arms. He could hardly feel his own body as his father's words knifed through his heart. It's Blaine.

It's Blaine.

Kurt was on his feet in a flash climbing up on the stage without any thought. His hands were already starting to pulse blue before his eyes even landed on Blaine.

He was laying on his back, arms spread like wings and hair looking as black as coal against his snowy skin. His lips were colorless and parted as his breath wheezed in and out of them and his eyes were staring blankly upwards. All of this took less than a second for Kurt to take in and none of it really caught Kurt's attention because the thing Kurt couldn't tears his eyes from was the bright red stain blooming like huge, horrible red poppy over Blaine's pale purple shirt.

"No." The word punched out of Kurt's lungs more breath than voice as he moved as quick as lightning to kneel next to Blaine. "No. No. No. No." Kurt began to chant, fear and shock making him useless.

"Kurt." Burt placed a hand on his back even as Ronald tore off his jacket and he and Sue pressed it firmly against Blaine's wound to try and slow the bleeding. "Kurt." Burt repeated. "He needs you. You can save him."

Kurt blinked tears out of his eyes and looked down at the blue light already glowing from his hands. _God Kurt, move! Do something! Don't let him slip away just because you weren't thinking!_

Kurt's hands fumbled with Ronald's and Sue's and they moved back because Kurt had to have access to the gunshot to help Blaine. He moved the jacket back shivering when he realized it was already soaked in Blaine's blood. He didn't let himself think about that.

"Get his shirt off!" Kurt ordered as he let his hands hover over the wound, he could already feel his magic flowing from his hands to sink into Blaine, but it wasn't enough. Burt quickly ripped Blaine's button-up shirt away from his chest so that Kurt could touch him skin to skin. One hand continued to hover over the gunshot while Kurt laid his other hand gently on Blaine smooth, too pale chest. Blue light streamed from him and into Blaine.

Kurt's heart shuddered as he touched the man he loved. Blaine was so cold. Cold and pale, and it was wrong. Blaine was meant to be warm, always so warm, and tan and alive, and right now he looked and felt like a marble carving of himself.

"Hey Blaine." Kurt said, the words pushing out of a throat tight with tears. He looked up from the gunshot to Blaine's face, Blaine's eyes were glued to him. "It's going to be alright. Can you feel that? My magic? It's going to heal you. You're going to be fine."

Blaine just blinked at him, lips opening a little wider, but no words coming out, his breathing sounding wet.

"It's okay man." Sam said kneeling on Blaine's other side. "You're in the best hands with Kurt. I mean your boyfriend has magic." He was clutching Blaine's hand to his chest and while Sam's words sounded confident, his face looked pained and scared.

Kurt's heart was pounding in his ears even as he continued to pump his magic into Blaine. The bleeding began to slow, that was good, but the wound wasn't closing. It wasn't healing, and the bullet had to still be in Blaine even though Kurt was trying to use his magic to pull it out.

It wasn't working.

"What's happening?" Sam said looking up at Kurt with fear in his eyes as Blaine's breathing became even more ragged. "Why isn't he getting better?"

Kurt didn't answer him. "Blaine?" Kurt said and Blaine's eyes shifted from Sam back to him. "Ba- baby?" Kurt's voice cracked, he didn't know what he was asking from Blaine, there was nothing Blaine could do, but Kurt was terrified. He'd never been called upon to heal an injury of this magnitude, and even though he was pouring all of himself into it, he couldn't seem to heal the one person in the world he wanted to heal the most.

"I- I don't know what to do Blaine." Kurt said as Blaine blurred in and out of vision because of the tears in Kurt's eyes.

Blaine blinked and a slow smile formed on his white lips. "I… I love you." Blaine's words were barely audible and Kurt had to choke back a sob that threatened to overtake him. He said the three words he'd said countless times to Kurt in the past few days, but it had never sounded like a goodbye before.

"No." Kurt shook his head. "You aren't going to do that." Resolve formed in Kurt's heart like steel, he redirected his magic, making sure Blaine wasn't bleeding anymore even if he couldn't heal the wound. He gave him as much strength as possible so much in fact that Kurt started to feel drained, like a rag being wrung out. Kurt looked at Sam and then out into the church. The two men from out-of-town where still there standing in back like their feet couldn't move. He glanced back to Sam talking quickly.

"I can't heal him."

"Don't." Sam shook his head. "Don't say that."

"I can't." Kurt licked his dry lips. "I've stopped the bleeding and I've given him as much strength as I can, that will buy you time."

"Time!" Sam sounded frantic, "What good is time!?"

"You have to get him out of Folaigh." Kurt said not looking at anyone but Sam. Damn the vote, Sam and Blaine were going to have to leave Folaigh. "I hopefully bought him enough time for you to get him to a hospital. Your world has advanced medical skills right?"

Sam nodded slowly and then seemed to catch up to what Kurt was saying. "Yes."

"I can't save him." Kurt had to pause as his voice started to fail him "But if… if I give him time maybe someone else can." Kurt looked back at the strangers. "You two!" He shouted. "I don't know you or your history with this man, but do you want to see him die?"

"God no." One of the men responded. "He's just a kid."

"What can we do to help?" The other asked.

"I need one of you to run back to your town and ready a doctor, and the other of you has to help Sam carry him out of here."

The two men looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation before the taller of the two, a lanky man who looked fast, turned to leave the church. He was stopped though by the doors that had been closed and the townspeople that stood in front of them.

No, no they couldn't do this. They had to see it was wrong to keep them here while Blaine was… while Blaine was _dying_.

"Holy hell!" Sue shouted. "Get out of the way. Do you want this boy's blood on your hands?"

They immediately moved out of the way, mostly looking relieved, and the stranger took off, hopefully he really would get a doctor ready to meet Blaine. The big red headed man left behind made his way up front.

"Blaine." Kurt said giving him his attention again, but Blaine just smiled weakly as his eyes fluttered closed. "I love you Blaine. I love you." Kurt said desperately even as Sam and the stranger started to lift Blaine off of the stage. Blaine looked small and helpless in their arms. But this was good; they'd bring him to help.

Kurt followed closely behind, wishing he was the one with Blaine in his arms as Blaine was carried through the town and then to the field that surrounded it. Kurt was wiping tears away from his face and didn't even notice the crowd of people that were also following them along.

They got to the border, the tree line that separated Folaigh from the real world. Kurt couldn't follow Blaine any further.

"Take care of him." Kurt choked out to Sam, but he knew that of course Sam was going to do everything he could to help Blaine. It just had to be enough.

He watched as Sam and the red-headed stranger carried Blaine up the hill and into the woods, his heart pounding and his hands shaking. He watched until he couldn't see them anymore, until the love of his life was out of sight… broken and hurt and with no way for Kurt to do anything more to help him.

Kurt's legs felt like soggy bread and he would have collapsed on the spot if his father's strong arms hadn't wrapped him in a hug and kept him upright. He took in a deep, shuddering breath and then started to sob, his face buried in his father's chest and feeling like all the sorrow of the world was washing over him.

He didn't see the people of Folaigh all standing by the border too, faces distressed and eyes wet. He didn't see Sue clench her fist in disgust at what they'd become. He didn't see Quinn crying silently or Mercedes crying big open sobs. He didn't see Mr. Figgins hanging his head in shame or any of the people he'd known as friends and neighbors as they stood a silent witness to the worse thing they'd even been part of. All Kurt knew in that moment was his father's arms, and the scent of his father's shirt and a fear that seemed to splinter his heart.

Everyday Kurt would wake up and walk to the field outside of town and wait. He didn't really expect Blaine to come waltzing back into town after being shot. He was probably still recovering- unless he…

No. Kurt wouldn't think of any alternatives.

But Kurt did hope that maybe Sam would come, or somehow send a message. Something that told Kurt Blaine was alright. That they'd made it to town and gotten medical help and Blaine had pulled through.

Mercedes or Quinn or the McCarthy twins or his dad would join him sometimes. Bring him food, make sure he was eating. In the evenings Kurt would drag his feet back home feeling exhausted even though he'd done nothing all day long. He'd pass his dad who would ask him how he was, or a couple of times passed his dad and members of the council sitting around and talking. They always grew quiet when Kurt came in. He didn't care what they were talking about. All he wanted was to know Blaine was alright.

He would lie in bed and bring the pillow Blaine slept with up to his face imagining he could smell him. In the morning he'd get up and get dressed and start all over again, his dad making him grab something for breakfast before he headed out. He knew his dad wasn't going to try to stop him, there was no reason to, Burt knew Kurt only had a few days to do this.

In fact the end of the week came all too fast. Kurt had no idea what was going on with the Centennial festival, he hadn't been anywhere outside of his home and the meadow since Blaine was carried away; pale, cold and painted with his own blood. He also really didn't care. Maybe they were all celebrating like normal, not even thinking about Sam and Blaine. Maybe the celebrating was subdued this year. It didn't matter, not to Kurt. All he wanted was Blaine, and since he couldn't have that all he wanted was word that Blaine was alive and well.

It was the last day of the festival. If Kurt didn't hear something now he was never going to hear anything at all. The sun started to set, filling the sky with beautiful oranges and reds and purples, Kurt didn't notice, he just sat hunched on the ground hugging his own knees and staring at the woods.

As the sun set the fog in the trees grew thicker and thicker, until it was so thick Kurt could make out the forest anymore. He closed his eyes and shivered. This was it. When he opened his eyes again the sky was dark and stars were coming out. The forest was gone, there was nothing outside of the meadow but mist.

Folaigh had disappeared.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello friends! Today is the end of Glee can you believe it? I think I'm still in denial about it. None the less I did want you to have another chapter to read today, especially since I left you in such a dark place last chapter. I promise this one isn't as sad! xoxo.
> 
> PS This is almost the last chapter, just so you have a heads up.

_Beep_   _Beep_   _Beep_  
  


Blaine took a deep breath and felt relief spread warm over his body when the act of breathing didn't hurt. He laid still for a moment not even thinking until he was struck with the realization that breathing  _shouldn't_  hurt. Why did he think it would? Blaine opened his eyes and then shut them again immediately as the bright light hurt his eyes.  


_Beep_   _Beep_   _Beep_

Was he hungover? His body ached and he felt tired down to his bones. Not a hangover. Maybe he'd been sick? He tried opening his eyes again but this time just a slit. He glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Someone was in a chair near him, but he didn't focus on them, he wanted to know where he was. There was a comforting tingling, buzzing sensation under his skin and as his brain began to stir memories rushed back to him.

Voices all around. Yelling and shouting orders. Soft hands against his skin. Trees rushing past him. More voices. Sam maybe… yelling? Strangers and lights and  _pain_. So much pain.  


_Beep_   _Beep_   _Beep_

It was coming back to him now. He'd woken up a few times before, but never long enough to think about where he was. He turned to look at the heart monitor hooked nearby and beeping steadily. White walls and the smell of disinfectant. He was in a hospital and the last thing he clearly remembered was…

_I love you Blaine. I love you._

Kurt's sweet voice calling out his love and Blaine had wanted to answer him. Why hadn't Blaine answered him? There were too many questions and Blaine's head felt like it was full of cotton and his stomach felt a little queasy, he needed answers. His eyes fluttered back to the person in the chair. Sam? No not Sam, someone sat with his head in his hands and a thick head of dark hair. Definitely not Sam.

Blaine tried to call out but his throat was dry and instead of words he just let out a kind of low rough groan. The man's head snapped up in response. Blaine knew him. His face was pale and tired, and there were uncharacteristic dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess like someone continually running their hands through it. But Blaine knew this person.

"Coop?"

Cooper's blue eyes brightened and he leaned forward grabbing Blaine's hand. He smiled down at Blaine, but also looked like he was about to cry. The only time Blaine remembered seeing Cooper like this was years ago when Blaine was recovering from some High School bullies beating him up because he brought another guy to the Sadie Hawkins dance.

"Hey Squirt." Cooper called his smile growing. "You're awake."

"W-where am I?" Blaine asked, but it hurt his throat to talk.

"You're in the hospital… do you remember what happened to you?" Cooper asked, his eyes worriedly scanning Blaine's face.

Blaine knew he was in the hospital, but he was too tired to rephrase the question. "Um… I…" Blaine closed his eyes; did he remember what had happened to him? He remembered a lot of shouting. Someone was angry and they had… they had a gun. Blaine's eyes snapped back open. "Is Sam okay?"

Cooper's eyebrows raised and then he started to laugh. That was frustrating, Blaine asked a question and he needed an answer.

"You took a bullet to the stomach." Cooper said as he gasped for breath. "You lost a ton of blood and have been in and out of consciousness for a week now, and the first thing you ask is about someone else?" His hysterical laughter was dying down now and he just looked pained.

"He was…" Blaine started coughing and Cooper was out of his chair in an instant filling a cup with water and putting a straw in and then bringing the straw to Blaine's lips. The water was cool on Blaine's rough throat and he felt immensely better.

"Sam is fine." Cooper answered as Blaine finished the drink. "I made him go back to the hotel for some rest. He's been here every day with you."

Blaine sighed in relief and then closed his eyes again. His eyelids were so heavy.

"You can go back to sleep Squirt." Cooper said but his voice was sounding far away.

When Blaine woke up again he felt much better than he had before, the room was darker, the sun outside the windows had gone down. He tried to sit up in the bed but firm hands were quickly on his shoulders.

"I don't think so."

Blaine smiled as he looked up at Sam.

"You don't get to sit up yet." Sam ordered sternly.

"Sam." Blaine said happily as he let himself settle back down in the bed. "I feel okay."

"I'm glad to hear that." Sam said sitting down in the chair Cooper had been in earlier. "But you still have to lay down."

Blaine nodded. "So you finally met my brother."

Sam frowned a little, "Not exactly how I wanted to meet the infamous Cooper Anderson. Calling him from thousands miles away to tell him his little brother had been shot."

"I'm so sorry you had to do that." Blaine said softly.

Sam raised his hands and shook his head. "No way. No way, man. You don't have to apologize about anything to me for like… ever. You took a  _bullet_  for me. You're an idiot to have done it, but still."

"What was I suppose to do Sam, let him shoot you?"

"Yeah, something like that." Sam said with a smile.

Blaine grimaced, not able to stomach the idea of his friend hurt, or worse. "Wait, where's Cooper now?" Blaine asked scanning the room.

"When I got back from the hotel to find out you were awake and doing better I told him it was his turn to go rest. He wouldn't leave the hospital though. He is probably sleeping in the nurses' lounge or something. They like him."

Blaine chuckled at that. Everyone liked Cooper. There was a more pressing matter on his mind though. "What does Cooper know?"

All Blaine really wanted to ask about was Kurt, but he knew he needed to know what was happening here first.

"Well, I wasn't sure how much you were going to want to tell him. He got the version the cops got. We'd been camping out of town and were exploring the forest when you were shot out of the middle of nowhere. I said I thought it might have been a hunter. Ballistics showed the bullet wasn't right for that but I just pretended I was as ignorant about what happened as they were. Which I'm pretty good at as it turns out."

Blaine raised his eyebrows at Sam's story. "And they… believed that?"

"I know. I know… but it was the best explanation I could come up with when my best friend was in extreme danger. And yeah they seemed to buy it."

"What about those two men?" Blaine asked. "They didn't get stuck in Folaigh did they?"

Sam sighed, "You were really out of it weren't you? No, they helped me get you out. Turns out, pretty nice guys. And to think we only found Folaigh because we were scared of them."

"They saw Folaigh though." Blaine said resisting the urge to sit up again as he started to feel antsy.

"Yeah, but they went along with my hunter-bullet-in-the-woods story. I don't know why. Decided not to ask. Maybe because of magic? Maybe because they didn't want to sound crazy about a town that is no longer there? I didn't focus on it much. You were… you were…" Sam cleared his throat. "You know you almost died?"

Blaine closed his eyes remembering the calm they had come over him when he knew what he had to do to protect Sam. And then the burning pain that filled his body when he'd been shot. He opened his eyes even as they filled with tears, "Thank you for getting me to safety." Blaine said since he wasn't allowed to apologize anymore and that was what he wanted to do looking at Sam's worried face.

"Well, you're doing better now, if you were wondering. ' _Healing much faster than could have been expected_." Sam said making air quotes. "I chose not to tell the doctor that was because of the  _magic_ you have pumping through you. Still they are calling it a miracle."

"Oh." Blaine said feeling the tingling of his skin. "I can still feel it, feel him, it's almost like he's here but…" He stopped talking his throat feeling tight. As soon as he woke up next to Cooper his brain had started telling him what that meant.

He was in the real world, he was where Kurt couldn't be.

Sam sighed. "Kurt gave you as much magic as he could  _and_  figured out a way to get you help as soon as possible. Kurt saved you."

Blaine nodded and closed his eyes to fight back tears. He and Sam were quiet for a long moment, Blaine thinking back on that horrible meeting at the church in Folaigh, how everything he'd had hoped for changed in an instant.

"He's gone. Isn't he?" Blaine asked after a while, remembering what Cooper had said when he woke up earlier, about having been in the hospital for a week. "I mean Folaigh is gone?"

"It only had four more days left." Sam said quietly. "I went out to the meadow yesterday, but I was too late- it was gone. I just… I didn't even  _think_  about going back sooner than that. I was… well frankly Blaine I've been worried sick about you."

"I'm sor-"

"No!" Sam brought his hand over Blaine's mouth and smiled. "No apologies from you." He moved his hand and Blaine tried to smile back at him, but his chest was starting to hurt and it had nothing to do with his bullet wound.

"Ten years." Blaine said tears leaking from his eyes. "Oh god, and I was  _so close._  They voted to let us stay… I, I really thought I was going to be able to stay. And now Kurt is gone for the next  _decade_." Blaine wiped at his eyes and tried to calm his breathing, the beeping of the heart monitor was picking up and he didn't want a nurse to come in right now, but he couldn't seem to calm himself down. " _I've lost him_."

Sam just held onto his hand. "I'm sorry Blaine. I'm so sorry."

Blaine let himself have a moment, not holding back his tears, his body shook and his heart ached and the tingling under his skin just made him cry harder. He only gave himself a moment though. Sam had spent a week worried about him; Blaine could mourn for what he'd lost later. He gulped down a deep breath and forced himself to control his emotions, he hadn't done that in a long time, but there had been a time when walling up the way he felt was the norm. He could do that again if it made things easier on Sam.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked once Blaine had quieted down.

"I will be." Blaine said, but he wasn't sure if that was true. He went back to sleep again shortly after that. He felt pretty good, but apparently his body was still exhausted.

Over the next few days Blaine started to feel stronger and stronger, the doctors were amazed at his quick recovery. Blaine knew he should be grateful, happy to be alive, and he was; It was just that he couldn't help but grieve for what he'd lost, how he and Kurt were so close to having a future together just to have it all torn away.

Both Cooper and Sam were by his side constantly so he had very little chance to even talk to Sam about Kurt or Folaigh or what had really been going on with them the past few weeks. It might have been a blessing though, because even though all he wanted to do was talk about Kurt he knew that would just make it hurt all the more.

"It's a good thing I have that big apartment, huh?" Cooper said the afternoon before Blaine's hospital release. "The guest room is great, you'll love it."

"Guest room?" Blaine asked sitting up in bed, something he was finally allowed to do. "Coop, I know I said I'd come visit you, but school starts soon and I need to head back to New York."

Cooper bunched up his eyebrows and looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Uh... no Squirt." He said firmly. "This isn't about me trying to milk a visit out of you. This is about me taking care of you while you recover."

"But Cooper I feel fi-"

"Besides." Cooper interrupted him. "NAYDA's fall semester started  _today_  Blaine."  


Blaine's mouth dropped open, had he really lost track of time that badly? "Oh my god! Cooper! I have to be a school. I'm on a scholarship! I can't just… I can't just  _be in Ireland_!"

"Whoa Blaine calm down. I'm on top of it. I already called your school I even talked to Mrs. Tidedo."

"Madame Tibideaux." Blaine corrected.

"Exactly. And it is all good. They are going to give you some grace seeing as you were  _shot_." Cooper said the word like it disgusted him. "You don't have to be there for another week and a half. You can spend a week recovering with me and then we'll fly out to New York together and get you all set up for the school year."

"Cooper."

"No.  _No_  Blaine. You're staying with me for a week. You try getting a call in the middle of the night, telling you that your brother is  _dying_  and then you'll understand."

Blaine worried his lip and then nodded. "Okay."

Before they left Ireland Blaine wanted to go back to the field where Folaigh should be, but he couldn't get away from Cooper and he wasn’t completely mobile yet anyway.

"There's nothing there." Sam told him sadly. "I went and looked. It is just the field, big and empty. I found our bags; someone must have left them for us outside the border. But Folaigh… Folaigh is gone."

The words felt like nails being driven into Blaine's coffin, but there was nothing he could do to change it.

Cooper and Blaine said goodbye to Sam at LaGuardia airport in New York. Blaine would see him again in a week and they would finally have a chance to really talk about all that had happened. Until then he had a connecting flight to catch to Los Angeles. He felt like he could rest and recover just as well in his own apartment in New York, but Cooper was insistent and Blaine was going do this for him. He'd never meant to worry his brother so much.

The sunshine of California usually lifted Blaine's spirit. Cooper's place was big and immaculately decorated and clean, Coop had a maid service. It was all fresh and new and modern, but made Blaine homesick for the Hummel's cottage. Small and cozy and smelling like flowers and wood. He was going to try to be cheerful for Cooper sake, by his heart ached for Kurt. He kept thinking of that last night they'd had together and how perfect it had been. He thought about the times they spend in the meadow and the beauty of Kurt's magic, the festivals in the evening and Kurt's lovely singing voice.

He just wanted to go back. He wanted another chance.

Blaine sat on the bed in the guest room his duffel bag next to him.

"Hey Squirt I'm ordering in, what do you want?" Cooper asked poking his head around the corner; he must have caught Blaine's forlorn expression before he had a chance to plaster on a smile. "What's wrong Blaine?" He asked stepping into the room. "You feel okay? Is your side hurting?"

"I'm okay Cooper." Blaine said with a weak smile. "And whatever you want for dinner is fine."

"Huh. Yeah. Okay Squirt." Cooper said, but he hovered by the door.

"What is it?"

"You know how many times I've called you Squirt in the past few days? And you haven't corrected me or gotten all huffy about it once."

Blaine smile again at this time it almost felt real. "You know what? It doesn't bother me."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Blaine thought back to talking to Kurt about Cooper and how Kurt had said that he wouldn't turn down a big brother that supported him. And Cooper had always supported him, even when Blaine had the big falling out with their parents; Cooper never gave up on him. "I'm okay with Squirt as long as you're the only one using it."

Cooper beamed at him. "Pizza. I just want a big greasy pepperoni pizza." He said leaving the room.

Blaine sighed and got up from the bed, he still felt listless and heartsick, but he was going to try to be better with Cooper. Kurt would like that.

He unzipped his duffle bag and dumped it on the bed, everything here needed to be washed. He started to sort through it when he found the outfit Kurt had made for him. His heart shuddered in his chest and he lifted it to his face and breathed it in, somehow it seemed to smell like Kurt. Maybe he wouldn't wash this piece just yet. He also came across the flower wreath Kurt had made him. The flowers had finally died, but the wreath was still beautiful even if it was dried out. Blaine placed it down on the nightstand near his bed, his hands shaking; He felt a sob start to bubble in his chest and pushed it down.

He knew he needed to let himself grieve, but that seemed like letting go and he wasn't ready for that.

"I could always go back in ten years." He said to himself. "Folaigh  _is_  coming back. I… I could wait. For Kurt I could wait. I'd do anything for him."

Blaine took a shower before dinner, fingers flitting over the ugly pink scar on his side. It likely wouldn't ever go away, but it already looked much better than it had when he first woke in the hospital. He still felt the buzz of Kurt's magic when he touched it. "Thank you Kurt." He whispered.

Blaine had been in California for three days, before Cooper brought up Ireland. Blaine knew he'd been quiet and morose, even though he meant to be cheerful for Cooper's sake. Cooper mostly let it slide; he probably thought Blaine was still just healing. But Cooper had always been more intuitive than people gave him credit for.

"So when are you going to tell me?" Cooper said as he muted the television from whatever program they'd been watching. Blaine wasn't even sure what it was, he wasn't really paying attention.

"Tell you… what?"

"What really happened on your vacation."

"I don't know what you mean." Blaine said even though he hated lying to Cooper. He'd promised not to tell anyone about Folaigh.

Cooper flipped off the TV and leaned forward looking at Blaine. "Okay, I'll get the ball rolling by telling you what I know. You call me out of the blue needing money, which I was more than happy to provide, and saying you'd be heading home soon. Days pass, I don't hear from you so I call your hotel only to find out you've checked out and left town. I figure you'll contact me eventually and that you and Sam are just being a little irresponsible the way college kids on vacation will be sometimes.”

"Cooper I'm sorry we didn't-"

"Let me finish.” Cooper said raising a hand. “Cut to nearly a month later. I get a midnight call from a frantic Sam talking about a girl and her dad maybe? And mostly about how my little brother is in a hospital in Ireland because he'd been shot."

Blaine swallowed feeling a little sick.

"So of course I hightail to Ireland to sit at your side and nurse you back to health. And what do I find out happened to you? You and Sam went  _camping_. With nothing but your duffel bags no less. Oh! And I happen to know, little brother, you haven't been camping a day of your life. And while you and Sam are Bear Grylls-ing it with your polo shirts and your boat shoes you get  _shot_. By a hunter.

 

“Oh but no! The police come back and say it was a bullet from some fancy pants gun that hasn't even been made in the past hundred years! So obviously Sam is lying. Okay, I like the kid already; he is deeply concerned about you so that makes him alright in my book. If he is lying to the cops he has a reason.  


“So I wait. You wake up. You get better. Fast. To my absolute relief you heal strangely fast. And I wait. We come back to my home in California and I think surely  _now_  Blaine is going to tell me what the hell happened. So I wait. But you know what? I'm tired of waiting and I think I deserve and explanation."

Blaine sat listening to Cooper get more and more upset and he starting feeling worse and worse. Cooper did deserve the truth, but even if Blaine was allowed to tell it there is no way Cooper would find the truth anymore believable than the story he'd already been fed.

But Blaine had told Kurt once that even though he wouldn't tell anyone about Folaigh he couldn't imagine never talking about Kurt again. So, he would tell Cooper as much of the truth as he could. He and Sam found this little secluded town and stayed there... and Blaine was shot because… because he didn't belong? He could tell Cooper  _almost_ everything. He could actually do what he'd been aching to do since he woke up. He could talk about the man he fell in love with.

"He's name is Kurt." Blaine said softly, his voice already catching in his throat. "And if you really want to know I'll tell you all about him."

By all appearances Blaine's life had gone back to normal. After the week he spent in California recovering Blaine had expected getting back to New York would have felt like coming home. It didn't really. He was grateful to get back to his apartment and to see Sam and once Cooper left it was nice to get back to school because if nothing else it was a distraction. He tried to think of other things, to not focus on a man he couldn't see again for another ten years, but almost every thought was consumed with Kurt. He just missed him.

Telling Cooper about Kurt, or at least as much as he could tell, had been a relief. Cooper had been livid when he found out about Russell who had purposefully shot him, but Blaine assured him the local authorities would take care of it. He had no idea if that was true. Folaigh had no prison; Blaine had spent enough time in that dark cellar to know that. He wasn't sure what the council would have done with Russell Fabray.

Blaine found he surprisingly didn't care either. As long as Kurt was safe that was what mattered. The problem was he had no way of knowing  _how_  Kurt was doing. Was he thinking of Blaine? Was Kurt missing him too? Did his chest ache all the time just because they couldn't be together? Blaine had no way of knowing. He also had no way of knowing how Kurt would react if Blaine waited ten years for him and came back to Folaigh. Kurt would be a year older. Only 22, and Blaine would be in his thirties by then. Would Kurt care?

The best part of being back in New York was Sam, because Sam understood. He was missing Mercedes, and though the two of them had always treated what they had as a summer fling, and didn't think about a future together the way Blaine had with Kurt, Sam still understood better than anyone else could what Blaine was going through. Even weeks after coming back to New York he let Blaine talk about Kurt as much as he liked, he never acted annoyed by it at all.

"I even miss the food there." Blaine said one evening as they were eating Chinese takeout and watching a movie. "I mean. The vegetables from Kurt's garden, and everything was just so simple."

"Yeah…" Sam said thinking. "I mean the food wasn't bad Blaine, but I think you are remembering it better than it was just because-" He stopped.

"Because?"

"Because most of your meals were made by Kurt or you made them with Kurt. I bet you'd like this takeout just as much if Kurt was here eating with you."

Blaine's stomach grew tight and a lump formed in his throat just thinking about what it would be like to have Kurt sitting here with him in his apartment in New York. "You're probably right." Blaine said putting down his order of orange chicken, suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.

"I mean, Folaigh was charming and everything, but I wouldn't trade my running water and my Xbox for it." Sam smiled at him trying to bring the conversation back to a lighter place.

Blaine nodded. "I would. To be with Kurt I would,"

Sam sighed and put his food down as well. "I know man, but there isn't anything we can do to change what happened. And you've been… I don't want to say moping because that sounds mean, but you haven't been yourself since we got back. I'm worried about you. You go to classes and you go to work, and you get your assignments done, but what have you done for fun recently? You never go out with me anymore. I haven't heard you sing or play an instrument. You just… you're just getting by, it's like you've stop being  _you_."

"Sam." Blaine sighed rubbing his hands down his face in frustration. "I don't know what to do. I can just snap out of it."

"I'm not staying that."

"I love him Sam, I wanted to be with him. And now I'm here and life goes on like normal and it just feels wrong. I  _miss_  Kurt."

"I know, and if you aren't done grieving yet or whatever, that's fine. Eventually though, you have to find a way to move on."

Blaine shook his head. "I'm going to wait for him."

Sam looked at him for a moment, bunched his brows together and then opened his mouth to say something before closing it again.

"Folaigh is coming back Sam." Blaine continued. "And when it does, I'm going to be there."

"That's in  _ten years._ " Sam said incredulously. "You are going to give up the next ten years of your life waiting for him? You can’t do that!"

Blaine clenched his jaw and took a deep breath; he really didn't want to snap at his best friend, and the only person he could talk to about Folaigh. "Sam… I… I don't know what else to do."

Sam got up from his chair and sat next to Blaine. "Okay, okay man. I'll support you no matter what, I just don't like the thought of you being miserable for so long. At least  _try_  to go out with friends and do the things you love to do. Wouldn't Kurt want that?"

Blaine smiled ruefully and nodded. Sam was right, he knew Sam was right, but that didn't make this any easier.

It was a month after they got back that Blaine finally played the piano outside of his classes again. It was longer than that before Blaine started singing with the radio or thought about writing songs. When he did start to write again he knew they were all melancholy love songs, but at least he was trying to work through it all.

He still dreamt of Folaigh. Nightmares too about being shot, of Sam getting shot or Kurt getting shot. But the pleasant dreams where the worst. Dreams where he'd be lying side by side with Kurt in his bed. Or kissing him sweetly among glowing purple flowers. Or sitting in the sunshine coming through a church window and playing Kurt a song. When he woke up from those dreams his stomach would lurch and his throat would go dry as reality came back to him. He'd lost all of that. He'd lost Kurt.

He'd turn over and flip on the little lamp by his bed and gently run a finger over the dried up flower wreath still kept by his bedside. He'd close his eyes and breathed in the flowers and try to pretend it was the sweet flowery scent of Kurt. Or he'd press his hand against the scar on his side trying to feel the tingling of Kurt's magic, but it had already faded. He didn't have anywhere to wear the whole outfit Kurt made him, but he found on days he was missing Kurt the most he'd put on the brocade vest and pretend it was Kurt's arms around him.

These things helped, but nothing ever quenched the constant dull ache in his chest from missing Kurt. It had only been a few months, but he began to wonder if he'd ever start to feel better.

" _You're my lightning bolt"_ Kurt had told him once. Blaine wasn't sure what Kurt had meant by that and wished he'd asked him, he wished he and Kurt had talked about so many things… but somehow the lightning bolt idea almost made sense. Kurt was Blaine's lightning bolt too, something that hit him, if even just for a brief time, and left him forever changed.

One afternoon after class one of the school's administration assistants found him. "Mr. Anderson? After classes today Madame Tibideaux would like to speak with you. You can find her in her office."

"Carmen Tibideaux wants to talk to me?" Blaine asked, feeling nervous, outside of critiques students didn't really talk to Madame Tibideaux very often. So when Blaine's school day was over he anxiously went to the administration offices, it felt like walking to his execution. The same woman who found him earlier greeted him with a smile and let him to Madame Tibideaux office.

It was big and spacious and decorated in rich colors, old fashioned and intimidating. Carmen Tibideaux waited with her hands folded on her desk as Blaine shrugged off his book bag and sat in on the floor next to his chair.

"Mr. Anderson." She began her voice somewhat severe. "I've been looking over your school records and I have to tell you I'm a little disappointed."

"Madame Tibideaux-" Blaine started but she raised her eyebrows in a way that instantly let Blaine know she wasn't done talking.

"You've been an exceptional student, here on a rather prestigious scholarship, and one of the top students in all of your classes… until this semester at least."

Blaine wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure Carmen was done yet.

"I heard from your brother at the beginning of the school year and I understand you sustained a dramatic injury and I wonder if that is what is impeding your studies this year?"

Blaine waited again.

"You may answer." Carmen said with only the slightest of smiles.

"I was injured, but I assure you I've made full recovery."

"Then why, pray tell, have I been getting notes like these from your teachers?" Carmen said sliding an open folder towards him. "Seems lackluster in his performance', 'Does the bare minimum to get by', 'disappointingly average' she read. Your teachers are very fond of you and are all concerned by your lack of academic excellence."

"I- just…" Blaine swallowed. He thought he'd been doing well this year, he thought he'd been keeping his feelings about Kurt in check enough to do well in school. He didn't know how much he'd let this change him. "I lost someone close to me." Blaine said looking up from the file to Madame Tibideaux. "I thought I was coping with it better than I apparently am."

Madame Tibideaux slid the folder back a nodded. She was quite for a moment and when she spoke again there was a softness to her voice. "You have two choices young man; the New York Academy of Performing Arts doesn't allow sloppiness, or its students being 'average'. However, I do understand that life can make things hard at times. I would suggest taking the rest of the school year off-"

"I can't do that!" Blaine said; upset enough to forget that he shouldn't interrupt. "I'd lose my scholarship. This is my last year."

Carmen continued like Blaine hadn't said anything. "Take the rest of the school year off and apply for a new scholarship next year, your teachers see a lot of promise in you and I could help with the scholarship if needed. Or…" She paused and looked at him squarely in the face. "Take this pain you are in and use it for you art. That is part of being an artist Mr. Anderson. Either way you need to make a change because your last year at NYADA should be anything but uninspiring."

"Yes ma'am." Blaine said quietly.

"We are out for winter break soon; perhaps you should take this time to think about where it is you are going. Understood?"

"Yes Madame Tibideaux." Blaine said. She waved her hand to dismiss him and Blaine pick up his bag and dragged his feet back out to the hall. He leaned against a wall letting his head fall back and his eyes close.  _Think about where he was going._  That's what Carmen wanted from him. But where  _was_ he going? Was he going to spend the next ten years barely living his life? Or would he spend this time to live his dream of being a performer? He'd chosen once to give his dreams up for Kurt, but now he didn't have Kurt and he was letting go of the things he had always wanted anyway. That's what Sam had meant about moving on; he still needed to be Blaine, even if it was a grieving Blaine.

He took a deep breath and straightened up from the wall, walking down the hall so he could still get to his shift at work on time.

"Blaine!" He turned to see Adam Crawford jogging to catch up with him. Adam was a T.A. and someone Blaine at one time might have had a small crush on.

"Hey Adam."

"I heard you had a meeting with the Big T."

"Yeah." Blaine answered reluctantly.

"Well, I doubt you want to talk about that." Adam smiled. "You know I feel like I haven't even seen you this semester. What do you say you and I go out for drinks this evening?"

Blaine stopped in place, was Adam asking him out? Blaine readjusted his bag on his shoulder and smiled. "I… Adam I…"

"It's okay. I'm just a T.A. we're allowed to fraternize." He said with a wink and Blaine's stomach dropped. If he was really going to start living his life again he should probably say yes to this invitation.

"Adam… I appreciate to offer, but I… can't. I'm sorry."

Adam frowned, but nodded. "Okay. Maybe some other time." And he left Blaine with his thoughts.

After work that evening Blaine would ask Sam if he wanted to go out and do something. He needed to get his life back, but that didn't mean giving up on Kurt.

Blaine smiled as he felt warm arms wrap around his waist from behind. He hummed in contentment as someone nuzzled their face against the back of his neck, he could feel little warm puffs of air that made the hairs on his skin stand on end. He put his hands over Kurt's hands folded on his stomach and murmured a sleepy, "Good morning."

"Good morning Blaine." A sweet melodic voice called back to him even as Kurt started pressing soft kisses to his neck.

"I missed you." Blaine sighed.

"I miss you. Come back to me."

"I'm with you now." Blaine answered, but Kurt didn't reply.

Blaine laid happily in the warmth of Kurt's embrace until Kurt's kisses to his neck started to increase and Blaine just wanted to see his face and kiss his lips. He turned in the circle of Kurt's arms… but he wasn't there. Blaine blinked his eyes and then drew in a sharp breath, as he opened his eyes pale light was streaming in from his window. He wasn't in Kurt's room with him; he was back home in New York.

He sat up trying to ignore the cold feeling in his belly. Today was the first day of Blaine's winter break; he'd been trying harder at school for the past couple of weeks and knew he'd do better when school started up again. Blaine had chosen to try to use his pain to help him at school; he didn't want to delay school for a year if his time in New York was limited by Folaigh's schedule.

It didn't matter that Blaine was doing better though, these dreams were still constant, and they still hurt.

He got out of bed, the wood floor cold on his bare feet and walked to the window to see light flurries of snow falling down and blanketing the city in early morning sparkling white.

Blaine was flying to California today to spend the Holidays with Cooper; hopefully the snow wouldn't get in the way of that. His parents were also going to visit Cooper for a short while which meant the four Andersons would be together in the same room for the first time in years. Blaine had bowed out of family holidays since his parents had cut him off and he'd had the big blow-out with his father, but this year he was really trying again. Not for his parent's sake, but for Cooper's and the thought that Kurt would be proud of him.

Kurt who was so sweet and compassionate when Blaine told him about his parents. Kurt who encouraged him to have a relationship with Cooper. Kurt who could make him feel better with just a smile or a kiss or the sound of his laugh. Blaine's throat tightened and his eyes stung. He sighed and turned away from the window, looking for the physical proof that he’d ever met such a wonderful person like Kurt.

He looked towards the nightstand where his flower wreath laid, but instead of moving towards it he was grounded in place. Blaine blinked his eyes and then rubbed them thinking he must be seeing things. He even pinched himself to see if maybe he was still dreaming.

There in place of the dried flowers was a fresh, blooming flower wreath looking just as it had that summer day Kurt had made it and placed in on Blaine's head. He rushed over to the night stand, almost tripping over himself in his haste.

He reached out shaky hands, scared that this vision would disappear. He lifted the wreath gently and let out a choked out laugh. The flowers were alive again. This wasn't a dream or his imagination. The flowers were alive and he could feel a gentle buzzing of magic as he held them in his hands.

Blaine burst out laughing, joy coursing through him. Sam poked his head in at the commotion Blaine was making.

"What the heck man?" He said sleepily.

Blaine couldn't answer, he just smiled ear to ear and turned towards Sam with the fresh flower wreath in his trembling hands, he lifted it for Sam to see and then burst out. "I'm going back to Ireland."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello lovelies! I just want to let you all know that this is the last chapter, thought I'm probably going to write an epilogue. Thank you all so much for reading and sticking with me, if you feel like leaving a comment I'd love to hear from you. And a special thanks to mmerainbows who offered to help me edit this story and is going back and cleaning up the previous chapters and who acted as beta for this story. She is is wonderful and if for some odd reason you have never read one of her stories, go forth and find her work and read away! Mmerainbows is truly gifted and I promise you'll love all her fics (I'm currently reading Citzen Erased and Hell & High Water and they are amazing).

_“Go ahead Kurt.” Sue said with her arms crossed over her chest and her voice sounding so kind and patient that Kurt had to watch her lips move before he believed it was really her talking. “Tell us what happened the night you found Blaine wounded and helped him.”_  
  
_Kurt let out a long breath and glanced from her to the other members of the council hovering nearby; all except Russell Fabray at least, his spot on the council was still empty. Kurt was glad his father was here, smiling at Kurt and nodding reassuringly._  
  
_“I came out into the field to stargaze.” Kurt said, glad his voice wasn’t wobbling even though he felt nervous enough that it should. “I had my bag and a blanket.” He paused then and looked around at the field they all stood in, “I was about here.” He looked down at his feet. “When I heard a tumble and a thud and that’s when I crept closer to the trees to see what had happened.”_  
  
_Kurt walked to the tree line and everyone followed him. “I stood here and I…” He gulped at the edge of the tree line, evidence of what he’d done hitting him slowly. The truth about what happened that night not seeming real. “I could barely make out the form of a person laying still on the ground. I knew they were hurt.”_  
  
_He looked at his dad with tears in his eyes. “I didn’t even think… I just moved forward. I remember it was the farthest I’d ever gone…” Kurt broke away from his father’s comforting expression to steal a glance at the rest of the council and saw that many people wore looks of shock or skepticism. The only faces that seemed neutral were Sue’s and, strangely enough, Judy Frabray._  
  
_“You say you moved forward from the spot you’re at now?” Sue asked, arms still folded, voice and face calm._  
  
_“Yes.” Kurt answered softly._  
  
_“Show us.”_  
  
_“Probably about there.” Kurt said pointing to the bottom of the steep hill Blaine had tumbled down._  
  
_“No.” Sue shook her head. “Show us.”_  
  
_Kurt’s eyes grew round and he looked back at his father. “I can’t. It’s across the border.”_  
  
_“It sounds like you’ve already been across the border son. We’re telling you it’s okay. Show us where you found him.”_  
  
_Kurt’s heart started beating hard against his chest and his breathing was choppy. The council was telling him to cross Folaigh’s border, something that was strictly forbidden, a rule ground in ever since he was eleven years old as the one thing you absolutely could not do._  
  
_“Go on.” Mr. Jones said in his heavy baritone with many of the other members of the council nodded along._  
  
_“Things have changed Kurt. We think you changed them. Now show us how.” Sue added._  
  
_Kurt worried his lip, took a deep breath, and held it before he took a long step forward leaving Folaigh and stepping into the real world._

* * *

Explaining to Cooper that he was bailing on their holiday plans to go back to Ireland where he’d almost been killed went over about as well as he’d expected.  
  
“Like hell.” Cooper said over the phone his voice rising in anger. Cooper rarely yelled, unless it was for a role. “You are not doing that Squirt. No way.”  
  
“Cooper you don’t understand.”  
  
“You’re right! I don’t understand!” Cooper said getting more wound up. “You have a ticket to California. Now just get on the damn plane and get over here!”  
  
“Cooper please hear me out.”  
  
Cooper let out a long breath, forcibly calming down. “You are meant to spend the holidays with me and not go traipsing off to the dangerous wilds of Ireland. And no way am I letting you go back to the town where you were shot.”  
  
“I don’t know if I’m going to that town or not.” _Because I don’t even know if that town exist in our time._ “But there’s a chance… Cooper I honestly believe there’s a chance I could find Kurt. I… life isn’t the same without him.” Blaine sat on his bed with his phone cupped between his ear and his shoulder as his fingers gently smoothed over the blooming flowers of his wreath. “You don’t know how miserable I’ve been or how much I miss him.”  
  
“You’re in love.” Cooper said solemnly. “I know.”  
  
“I never thought I would be in love. I didn’t think I had it in me… but Kurt.” Blaine closed his eyes picturing Kurt. “Kurt is good and loving and it’s like... he woke me up Cooper, like I was sleep walking through my life before we met. If there is even a slight chance that I could be with him… I have to take it.”  
  
Cooper was silent on the other end and Blaine held his breath.  
  
“I guess winter in Ireland doesn’t sound so bad.” Cooper finally said. “And depending on how things go we could still make it back by Christmas.”  
  
“Thank you Cooper, you have no idea how- wait, did you say we?”  
  
“I’m telling you Squirt, you aren’t going back to the place you were shot without me. And if we end up spending Christmas there together in Ireland then so be it. The parents have ignored you through enough Christmases without me ever standing up for you, it’s time they miss a Holiday with both of us.”  
  
Blaine didn’t know what to say.  
  
“Listen, let me see if I can use your ticket to California as credit for a flight to Ireland.” Cooper continued. “I can fly to New York and we can go together. Just please don’t do this by yourself. I don’t understand what the heck is going on, and I know you haven’t told me everything, but if you go on your own I’m going to go cray-cray.”  
  
Blaine chuckled and let out a breath of relief. “Cooper you are the best brother in the world.”  
  
“I know. Now wait for my call about the tickets. Okay?”

* * *

Things had seemed weird in town for the past few days. Everyone seemed subdued and thoughtful, with not enough laughter or talking.  
  
"I’ve never seen Mason and Madison so quiet.” Kurt remarked to his father after running into the McCarthy twins in town. “And it’s not just them. Everyone is acting peculiar. Or is it just me? Are they acting this way because I’m around? Because the past few days everyone has been odd.”  
  
“No Kurt that isn’t it. Everything has been different since the vote.”  
  
“ _The vote_ ” seemed to be what everyone had started to call the events that actually took place after the vote. Namely, Kurt watching the love of his life being gunned down and then helplessly staying behind as others carried out of town. Kurt still felt nausea build up in him every time he thought about how pale Blaine was and how when his eyes slid closed they didn’t open again and the redness of his blood. Kurt still had nightmares where he had Blaine’s blood all over his hands.  
  
“The only reason you just started noticing how everyone is acting is because you haven’t really been around people lately.” Burt said, pulling Kurt from his disturbing memories.  
  
Kurt couldn’t argue with that. He had stayed in his house for weeks after Folaigh disappeared. Much of that time was spent in bed just crying. It was awful enough that he and Blaine could never be together, but not even knowing if Blaine was dead or alive was torture. The only thing that finally got him out of bed were the dark circles under his father's eyes. His father's worry over him was going to make Burt sick. So Kurt had gotten out of bed, dried his eyes, bathed and tried to face the world. Yes, he still cried himself to sleep most nights, but he was here out in town and that felt like a huge feat.  
  
Kurt nodded thinking about his friends and neighbors and how what had happened must have been traumatic for them as well.  
  
“The council wants to talk to you.” Burt said. “When you’re ready. Some… weird things have been happening with Folaigh, and… well we’d like to discuss it with you.”  
  
“Weird things? What kind of weird things and why talk to me?”  
  
Burt stopped and turned to face his son. “I should have mentioned it earlier, but I’ve been worried about you…”  
  
“Mentioned what?” Kurt’s stomach started to clench with concern.  
  
“Folaigh disappeared on schedule after the Centennial… but we seem to be fading back in little by little.” Burt continued as Kurt’s looked at him in shock. “We can see the trees outside of town; they seem to be getting clearer every day. You don’t notice unless you go out to the field though, they are still shrouded in fog.”  
  
Kurt opened his mouth and shut it again. He wasn’t sure if it was fear or excitement churning inside of him and his dad waited for him to find his voice. “We are appearing in the real world again?” Kurt asked to clarify because he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  
  
“Seems like we may be.”  
  
“Does that mean the Miracle has been broken?” Kurt asked his voice breathy as that idea settled over him.  
  
“We really don’t know.” Burt said. “All of our powers are tightly bound with the Miracle. It seems like we’d feel it if our protection was broken. I really believe we’d know if something had gone wrong. It’s just… I’ve been thinking.” He paused as they started walking back home again and Kurt felt nervous energy bouncing around him as he waited for his father to speak.  
  
“The night you first saw Blaine you said he rolled down that hill and you healed him?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Do you mean to say he rolled all the way into the clearing?”  
  
“No, he was still at the bottom of the hill and-” Kurt stopped, jerking with the suddenness of his realization, his feet planted to the ground but his mind running fast. Blaine had ended up at the bottom of that hill, the hill _outside_ of Folaigh’s borders. Had Blaine been inside the tree line? Had Kurt actually left the field to get to Blaine that first night?  
  
“Yeah.” Burt continued. “You’re not in trouble Kurt, but the council definitely wants to talk to you.”

* * *

The flight to Ireland seemed to take a lifetime. Blaine said goodbye to Sam after asking if he wanted to come along, but Sam had family obligations. Blaine felt very lucky; his family was going with him to Ireland, well, Cooper was at least, and that really was the family that counted.   
  
For the entire seven plus hour flight to Ireland Blaine couldn’t sit still and his mind was racing with possibilities. The best explanation that he could come up with for the revival of his flower wreath was that Kurt had to be back. Sam had suggested that maybe Blaine had made the wreath bloom again using left over magic in him from when Kurt healed him. That thought had made his hopes crash and his stomach hurt. Surely that wasn’t it, even if Kurt’s magic was still in him he didn’t think it could just be transferred like that. No, Kurt had to be back, he had to be.   
  
_Please Kurt please. I don’t can’t go through the pain of losing you all over again._  
  
Cooper napped a lot and chatted up the flight attendants, but Blaine was single minded. Get to Kurt.  He kept thinking of that dream of Kurt he had the night before the wreath bloomed again. Kurt had told him to come back to him, so that was exactly what Blaine was trying to do.  
  
If he got back and found no Kurt and no Folaigh he knew he would be devastated, the little pieces his heart that that had been broken before would be ground into dust. Still, he had to try.   
  
When the plane landed in Ireland they still had a couple hour drive back to the town outside of Folaigh that he and Sam had stayed in before. And then a quick hike to that field, the field he’d first fallen in love with Kurt.   
  
If everything went the way Blaine was praying it would he could be with Kurt again by that evening. 

* * *

“You think I broke the Miracle.” Kurt said to the council members gathered in the Hummel home. It wasn’t a question either, it was a statement.   
  
“Now we never said that.” Mrs. Jones answered. “We’re just trying to figure out what is happening to Folaigh.”  
  
“I don’t believe the Miracle is broken.” Sue added. “If it was we wouldn’t have slowly faded back into the real world, we would have been pulled immediately back. Or never left after the Centennial at all.”   
  
“Are we all the way back now?” Burt asked and several council members confirmed that Folaigh was completely back in the real world now.   
  
“What do you think I did?” Kurt asked timidly, scared he had destroyed everything.  
  
“First we want to see how far you went, if you really were outside of Folaigh’s border.” Sue said. “You’ll have to show us.”   
  
That was how Kurt ended up standing inside the tree line with the field surrounding his hometown and the border of Folaigh behind him. His hands were shaking and his throat felt tight. He took another step forward, and then another. Now he was at the base of the hill when he’d first found Blaine. He knelt down and put his hand on the soft earth. Blaine had been here.   
  
He stood back up and turned round. The council members were all still standing in the field looking at him. He wasn’t sure what he could say.   
  
“I’m sorry.” He voice was gravelly and he thought he might cry. “This is where I healed Blaine for the first time. I didn’t even… he was hurt and when someone is hurt I have to help them.” Tears were blurring his vision. “I didn’t mean to cross the border. I never even realized I did.”   
  
“Kurt. It’s alright.” His dad said from a few feet away, still within the protective border of Folaigh.   
  
“I’ve ruined everything.”   
  
“You really didn’t.” Sue said before anyone else could speak. “If you had ended the Miracle, we would have never disappeared at the end of the Festival, it seems to me by leaving Folaigh to help an outsider you somehow _changed_ the Miracle.”   
  
“But how?” Judy Fabray spoke up, her voice high-pitched and a little reedy. She looked and sounded like she hadn’t slept well in weeks. And she probably hadn’t. “How did one boy change the magic that we all used to build this place? How?”   
  
Burt reached out his hand towards Kurt who walked back into the field, feeling relieved to be back where he knew it was safe, and yet at the same time he couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder. That was the real world, and Blaine was out there somewhere. His heart tightened in his chest, if Blaine was still alive.   
  
Everyone was quiet, seemingly having no answers.   
  
“Love.” Emma spoke up and everyone turned to look at her. “We made the Miracle out of love; it is what bound our magic together.” She smiled at Kurt. “I think Kurt has changed things through his compassion by not allowing a stranger die. And maybe… maybe we are back in the real world because Kurt’s love brought us here. Foaligh was meant to protect, not trap. It was built on love and maybe love changed the rules.”  
  
Kurt smiled back at Emma, his heart swelling at the idea.  
  
Sue scowled, not one to be romantic. “So then, can only Porcelain leave Folaigh?”  
  
“More importantly.” Mr. Jones said, “Now that we are back in the real world how do we disappear again?”  
  
“I don’t want to disappear.” Kurt said and everyone looked at him as shock, except Sue who just smirked knowingly. “I want to leave Folaigh.” 

* * *

Cooper drove their rental car out of the city and to the town Blaine and Sam stayed in before. Blaine had offered to drive because he was feeling high strung and jittery, but Cooper insisted, saying Blaine should sleep since he hadn’t any on the flight.   
  
There was no way he was sleeping though. No way he could, not when he was this close. He kept thinking that he felt the tingle of Kurt’s magic under his skin, especially around his scar, but really he was so excitable, it might be nothing more than his imagination.   
  
The flowers though, that wasn’t his imagination. He pulled his wreath out of his bag again and kept it in his lap, so scared that it was suddenly going to dry up and die again.   
  
Once they arrived at the hotel they were going to stay at and got their stuff to their room Cooper wanted to go find a place to have dinner.   
  
“No Cooper. I have to go now, I have to go find Kurt.”  
  
“Squirt I know you’re anxious to see him, but I just traveled half-way around the world and I want some food. He’ll still be there tomorrow.”   
  
“You don’t have to come with me.” Blaine said grabbing one of the room keys and heading to the door.   
  
“Blaine please remember you were almost _killed_ last time you when to this little village.” Cooper said frantically, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “It will be dark in an hour or so. Please just wait till the morning, we’ll go together.”  
  
“I’m sure the man who shot me is locked up.” Blaine said, but he wasn’t actually sure of that at all.   
  
“Blaine in the morning.”   
  
“It might not be there in the morning! If I wait it might be gone!” Blaine snapped feeling frustrated. “I don’t… I can’t waste time.”   
  
Cooper looked at him his expression clouding and Blaine covered his mouth with his hand. What had he just said?  
  
“It may not be there in the morning? What? The village may not be there in the morning? It’s going to just up and disappear?” Cooper threw his hands up in the air and smiled at his own joke.   
  
“Cooper…” Blaine closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “Come with me now and I’ll tell you the part of all of this I’ve been keeping from you.”   
  
Cooper narrowed his eyes, but then agreed.   
  
Blaine had promised not to tell about Folaigh, but Cooper was his brother and he was holding him back from getting to Kurt. And really, what were the chances he’d believe Blaine anyway? 

* * *

Kurt stood in Quinn’s room as she bustled around in a flurry. Going to her closet and pulling clothes out and throwing them on her bed before rushing to her dresser and grabbing something else and then turning back to her closet again. Kurt sat watching her from her bed seeming calm and collected folding the items she was tossing at him even as his heart pounded in his chest and his mind swirled with emotions.  
  
It was hard for Kurt to be in this house with Russell Fabray downstairs. Russell was under house arrest seeing as the council didn’t really know what else to do with him. Kurt didn’t want to see him or have anything to do with him at all. He was afraid of what his reaction towards Russell would be if he was confronted with him, Kurt hated violence, but he also hated the man that may have killed Blaine. Even the thought of that possibility made Kurt sick.   
  
Luckily Kurt didn’t see Russell when he entered the house; he must have been smart enough to make himself scarce. And Quinn needed him, so he’d just stay here in her room.   
  
“What about this.” Quinn said holding up what she called her “fancy dress”, the last time he’d seen her in it was the first day of the Centennial. “Do you think I’ll need this?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Kurt answered for what felt like the hundredth time. “Sam and Blaine’s clothes were really different I don’t know what women wear in modern times.”   
  
Quinn gave him an exasperated look and Kurt knew she was nervous, terrified even, so was he. She needed him to be a friend right now and Kurt needed a distraction.   
  
“Yes, pack it.” He said with a smile. “Even if it isn’t the right style a beautiful dress is a beautiful dress and you look lovely in that. Plus, it is what you were wearing when you first met Sam.”  
  
“I don’t want to leave Folaigh to find Sam.” She said, as she tossed the dress to the bed for Kurt to fold and pack. “You know that. You may want to leave to find Blaine, but I’m just hoping to… to…” She turned back to Kurt and her eyes were watery. Kurt stood up from the bed and walked to her wrapping her in his arms.   
  
“I want the chance to have a real life.” She said face buried in Kurt’s shoulder.   
  
“I know, so do I.” Kurt murmured. _A life with Blaine_ , his mind added.  
  
“What if the council doesn’t let us go?” She asked pulling back.   
  
Kurt couldn’t speak for a moment the idea that the council would reset the Miracle and not allow anyone to leave Folaigh made him feel a little ill. He _had_ to leave. He had to find out what had happened to Blaine. “I’m a little tired of the council controlling my future and my happiness.” Kurt said with more steel in his voice than he expected. “I don’t know if I care about their decision.” 

* * *

They walked up a path that Blaine at one time would have been afraid to get lost on, but now it was like his heart knew exactly where to go. Cooper had been right, by the time they started to near the field the sun had was setting. The terrain was different now than it had been in the summer. Except for the evergreens, all of the trees had lost their leaves and there was a layer of melting snow over everything.   
  
Blaine would have slowed down and enjoyed the secrecy as the forest was absolutely beautiful, and so quiet in its wintery sleep, but Blaine was single minded. Get to the field. Find Folaigh. Find Kurt.   
  
He had explained everything to Cooper as they walked. The Miracle, the festival, the flower wreath. He showed Cooper the wreath and even though Cooper had seen it when it was when it was dry it wasn’t enough to convince him of magic. At this point he was probably following Blaine through the darkening woods hoping his little brother hadn’t lost his mind.   
  
Blaine started moving faster and faster as they neared the clearing. His heart in his throat and his stomach tight. The forest was growing foggy and cold, but it didn’t slow Blaine down. When he reached the hill outside of Folaigh he was careful making his way down. Watching his feet and hanging on to trees. Once he got to the bottom he stopped and his breath caught in his throat as his heart hammered in his chest.   
  
He could hear Cooper making his way down behind him and called out for him to be careful. Then he forced himself to look up hoping to see the outline of Folaigh from here, but it was too foggy. He stepped forward through the trees and walked into the field, everything was washed in a warm pink light as the sun started to fade over the horizon, and the field was covered in white snow that sparkled with the evening light. Blaine blinked and strained his eyes, not even able to take in the beauty of the moment.   
  
The field was empty.  
  
It was big and open and stretching flat ahead until it met more trees on the other side. Nothing was here, no town, no Kurt. Folaigh was gone just as Sam had said.   
  
Blaine felt sick. He had been so sure. His legs couldn’t support his weight anymore and he sunk to his knees, not even caring that he was kneeling in the snow. He heard Cooper come up from behind him and place a hand on his shoulder. “This isn’t what you expected, is it?”  
  
Blaine just shook his head and closed his eyes. He’d come all this way just to find out he’d been wrong. 

* * *

Kurt couldn’t believe what he’d just done, walking over the border of Folaigh with a bag over his shoulder and a suitcase in hand. Folaigh had been his home for so long, and even the life he knew before Folaigh would be nothing like the world he was about to discover. After first realizing he may have been the one to change the Miracle he couldn’t help but feel excited, but he had waited a few days to see what the council would say.   
  
Folaigh had started to fade again so the endless debating the council was doing got cut short as they had to decided _right then_ if they were going to risk letting people leave Folaigh or not.   
  
In the end there was very little choice to be made. “Kurt is leaving.” Burt said quieting the room in the middle of an argument. “Only out of his respect for us has he even waited this long, but he isn’t staying in Folaigh. In fact there is a chance he and other young people are planning on leaving _now_ before we fade even more. We can pretend this is a decision that needs to be made, but Folaigh is not a prison and I know Kurt, for one, is going to do what he wants.”  
  
“And you’re just going to let him leave?” Judy spoke up.  
  
Burt lifted his eyebrows. “You think Quinn isn’t already prepared to leave as well? We sit here trying to make choices for other people, but like I keep saying they are adults now and the choice it theirs. Vote whatever you want, I’m going back home before my son sneaks out of town and I never even get the chance to say goodbye.”   
  
Kurt had been at home with his suitcase packed, nervous knots in his stomach. When his dad came home and told him what he’d said to the council Kurt threw his arms around him. “I am leaving Dad. God I was so scared I was going to have to go without seeing you and…” His throat clogged up, not able to say more. The idea of leaving his dad behind was a physical pain.  
  
Burt held Kurt out by the shoulders. “Folaigh was a chance for me to protect you Kurt.” He said with teary eyes, “It means nothing to me if you aren’t here.”   
  
“What do you… what are you saying?” Kurt asked not daring to hope yet.  
  
“I’m coming too.” Burt said with a smile. I have my necessities packed already.  
  
Kurt had laughed and cried and hugged his dad again, but they didn’t have time to waste, Folaigh was disappearing again, it had only come back briefly as if to give people who wanted to leave this chance. They weren’t going to miss it.  
  
And now here they were standing outside of the place he’d called his home for so long. Kurt couldn’t stop shaking; his whole body was trembling with both eagerness and nerves. He, his dad, Quinn and a handful of other people stood in the forest outside of Folaigh, luggage in hand as they watched their home fade away. Once not even a trace of his beloved Folaigh could be seen Kurt drew a deep breath, the air outside of Folaigh was colder than it had been inside and he was glad he’d brought a jacket.   
  
He turned to his dad and smiled. “I guess this is the start of a new adventure.”  
  
Quinn came up to his side and held Kurt’s hand. She was pale and trembling slightly. She had no family now and Kurt was determined to be there for her. Kurt had said good bye to Mercedes who couldn’t leave her family behind to come with him, but Quinn… Quinn had left everything.  
  
Burt looked at them both. “Should we go see what is beyond this forest?”   
  
“Just a minute.” Kurt letting go of Quinn’s hand for a moment and putting his suitcase on the ground before riffling through his bag; he pulled out a long string of flower blooms he’d braided together before leaving.  
  
“What’s that for?” Quinn asked as he walked over to a big oak tree and looped the flowers around it, laying his palm gently over them and letting his magic flow into them.   
  
“They’re for Blaine.” 

* * *

“I’m sorry Blaine.” Cooper said in a low voice. “I don’t really understand everything you told me but I know you hoped to find Kurt.”  
  
“He isn’t here.” Blaine’s voice was hollow. “Nothing’s here.”   
  
“I’m sorry.” Cooper repeated and Blaine knew he was trying to comfort him even while confused by the situation. “Come on Squirt, get up. It’s freezing out here, let’s go back to the hotel and talk this all over. Okay? I feel like we’ve been in a whirlwind for the past 24 hours.”  
  
Blaine nodded and got to his feet for his brother’s sake even though he felt numb all over and it had nothing to do with the cold. They walked back towards the forest as Blaine’s eyes filled with tears. This felt like losing Kurt all over again and his heart was ripping in two.   
  
“What’s that?” Cooper asked and Blaine looked up with a sigh. Cooper was pointing at a nearby tree and even though it was getting darker by the minute Blaine could tell something was wrapped around it. He took a few steps forward and then just stared. Flowers. Fresh, blooming summer flowers. The purple crane’s bill from the field, and peasant’s eye from Kurt’s garden, and buttercups like the ones in Blaine’ wreath and the little Bell Heather flowers that were Kurt’s favorite. He lifted his fingers to touch them.  
  
“What is this?” Cooper said coming up beside Blaine. “And how the hell are these flowers not frozen out here?”   
  
Blaine smiled as a tingling feeling flowed through the flowers to his fingertips. “Kurt’s here. Folaigh isn’t, but Kurt is.” His heart was flipping over in his chest and his hand trembled. “I just have to find him.”   
  
“I don’t understand anything that is going on.” Cooper said but Blaine just grabbed a flashlight from his pocket and flipped it on, navigating the forest was going to be harder now but he needed to get back to town.  
  
“Come on Cooper!” He said and started rushing back the way he came.

* * *

Kurt knew he was lucky; leaving Folaigh had been a huge risk, walking out into a world they knew very little about and hoping to survive. Things were hard, but better than they had been at first. A total of fifteen people left Folaigh, not many compared to all the people they left behind, but for these fifteen it was the right thing to do. 

Out of the fifteen only three had stayed in the small town outside of where Folaigh use to be. Everyone else went to a bigger city to try and trade the valuables they’d brought with them for money and to disappear into the crowds there.   
  
It was a good idea. Here Kurt and his dad and Quinn were scrutinized and gossiped about, but this is where Kurt had to stay because if Blaine came back and Kurt had gone somewhere else how would they find each other?  
  
One of the first things Kurt had asked about when he got to town was the American that was shot a month or so back. All he could find out was that Blaine had stayed in the small hospital here before being transferred to a bigger hospital out-of-town. That was encouraging, it meant Blaine had made it to medical help, but Kurt still had no idea if he’d recovered or where he was now.   
  
Kurt’s ultimate goal was to make it to New York and find Blaine or Sam, but it was expensive and he discovered there were laws about traveling out of the country.  Kurt worried that he’d never find a way out of Ireland.

At first they all stayed in a run down and dirty little motel, but it was all they felt they could afford on the merger money they’d made trading something at a pawn shop. Kurt quickly found a job though; it was at job at a local pub. He worked, and he saved and he waited, trying to think of a way to get to Blaine.  
  
Shortly after getting the job at the pub the owner had fallen sick, a heart attack; he collapsed behind the bar while Kurt was standing next to him and Kurt was glad the pub had been mostly empty because he was able to surreptitiously use his magic to keep the man alive until the medics came.   
  
After that, Mr. Murphy called Kurt his lucky charm and he let Kurt, Burt, and Quinn stay in the back apartment of the pub. It had a little attached bathroom and they were free to use the pub’s kitchen. It wasn’t much but it meant they didn’t have to use the little money they’d traded for to stay in the awful motel anymore.   
  
Burt found a job with a local mechanic. After the wonder of seeing these futuristic automobiles, Burt was able to prove that he could work on almost any “car” even if he didn’t know all the correct terms for everything. Quinn was working at a little candy shop, they loved her there and insisted she wear all her “old fashioned costumes” as the customers found it charming and the tourists even stopped to take photographs with her. Overall the three of them were doing much better for themselves then could have been expected.   
  
Everyday Kurt got up hoping that this would be the day he learned something more about Blaine. He hoped that Blaine would somehow know that he needed to come back and find him, because he had to assume Blaine had survived or Kurt wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed in the morning. When fears that maybe Blaine hadn’t made it crept in, Kurt would push those thoughts aside though, squishing them down deep inside of him where they couldn’t make him feel ill with sorrow.   
  
“You and Blaine are going to be together again.” Quinn said one evening when both she and Kurt were off of work. She was sitting in a big plush chair covered in some kind of fake lather and reading a magazine, she and Kurt read as many magazines and newspapers they could get their hands on since they helped them better understand the world they found themselves in. “I know you will find each other again. I can tell.”   
  
“You can tell?” Kurt said with an arched brow as he was played with the flower crown he’d wore the day Sam and Blaine had arrived in Folaigh, it was dry and brittle now.   
  
“I know my magic isn’t as obvious as yours or Burt’s, but it is real. Sometimes I just know things. So believe me when I say that Blaine is alive and you’re going to find him again one day.”   
  
Kurt smiled and nodded, hope swelling in his heart. _Please be right Quinn, please be right._ He looked down with a frown as one of the dried flowers broke off of his wreath; they were some of the only flowers he had left from his old garden and they reminded him of Blaine. Kurt stuck the tip of his tongue out as he repaired the wreath using his magic to make the flowers bloom just as his wreath fully bloomed again Kurt felt a surge in his power; it seemed to spread out of him past the wreath in his hands. The feeling ended as quickly as it started and Kurt couldn’t explain what it had been.  
  
He looked at the flowers in his hand and then back up at Quinn. “I hope you’re right.” He was lucky he knew, but everyday he missed the man he loved.

* * *

Blaine and Cooper walked into the first open restaurant they found. It was a small, clean, well lit pub and Blaine immediately liked it.   
  
“This isn’t where you lost that poker game is it?” Cooper asked looking around.   
  
“No, this is much nicer.”   
  
“I think we seat ourselves.” Cooper said, nodding over to an empty table in the corner and then heading that direction. Blaine continued to look around the cozy pub; it was fairly full for a chilly night ans was filled with the warm glow of lights and the happy chatter of the people eating and drinking. He took a deep breath rubbing his hands together to warm them. The pub smelled like cedar and malt and… flowers.   
  
Blaine spun around searching the whole place. It didn’t just smell like flowers it smelled like Kurt. Blaine’s skin tingled and a lump formed in his throat. His heart was beating heavily and suddenly the general chatter and noise of the pub seemed to grow muffled.  
  
“I knew we had more pretzels in the back.” A voice behind him called and Blaine knew that warm lilting voice, he spun to see a tall young man with chestnut hair coming from the pub’s backroom with a box in his arms.   
  
“I should have trusted you. You’re always on top of the inventory.” The bartender said.   
  
Blaine held his breath as the man placed the box on the counter and stood up wiping dust off his pants. Blaine took in his pale skin and his blue eyes and his perfect pink mouth that tipped into a slight smile as he spoke with the bartender. He was every bit as lovely as the last time Blaine had seen him.  
  
“ _Kurt_.” Blaine tried to call out but suddenly his throat was tight with tears and he could hardly make a sound. Kurt turned away from the bar and went back to the store room behind it. “Kurt!” Blaine called and this time his voice came out, but Kurt was already out of sight, the door swinging behind him.  
  
Blaine surged forward, running into people on his way, hitting his hip against a table and not even noticing. He raised a palm and pushed the door open following Kurt into the back.   
  
“Hey! You’re not allowed back there!” Someone called behind him, but he didn’t stop.   
  
“Kurt!” Blaine stood, frozen in place as the man in front of him stopped and then slowly turned around. His eyes were wide and his lips parted in awe, and as he looked at Blaine tears started to roll down his cheek.   
  
“Blaine?” His sweet voice was hoarse with emotion and they both stood still for a moment, worried that if they as much as flinched the spell would be broken. Blaine wasn’t sure who finally moved first but suddenly Kurt had dropped the package in his hands and they were both running forward Blaine let out an _oof_ of air as Kurt slammed into him, wrapping his arms around Blaine’s back and clinging so hard it was difficult to breath. Blaine didn’t care; he knew he had to be holding Kurt just as tight.   
  
Blaine buried his face in Kurt’s neck drinking him in, and Kurt trembled in his arms. Together they swayed a little on their feet, rocking as neither of them could find the words to say, but couldn’t let go of each other either. Kurt started pressing kisses to the side of Blaine’s neck and up to his hair and his cheek until Blaine lifted his face enough for Kurt to press a long sweet kiss to his lips.   
  
Sighing, Blaine felt weightless and parted his lips as Kurt began to tug on them with his own. He could feel the pads of Kurt’s fingers gripping his back, their chest pressed together, Kurt tasted like tea and honey and he smelled of sweet flowers and every one of Blaine senses were consumed with him. Kurt pulled away from the kiss only when they both had to take a breath, Blaine panting as Kurt looked at him with misty blue eyes. They both started talking at the same time.   
  
“How are you here? I went looking for Folaigh but-”  
  
“Blaine you’re alive. I didn’t know and, _oh god_.”   
  
They both stopped talking and smiled at each other before laughter bubbled up in Blaine’s chest and he was chuckling and kissing Kurt again.   
  
“I was… so… scared… I didn’t know…” Kurt said between kisses before he broke away and leaned his forehead against Blaine’s while keeping his arms looped around his back. “I didn’t know if you’d survived or not. The last time I saw you… I keep having nightmares about it. All that blood and… I thought maybe I made it here, but had still lost you… and…” Kurt’s voice was scratchy and Blaine started to thumb away his tears as he started to explain.   
  
“You saved me. I was in the hospital over a week, but I’ve made a complete recovery now. They called it a miracle, but I knew it was you.” Blaine moved in to press a short kiss to Kurt’s soft and tear salty lips. “You saved me my love, and I… I came back for you.”   
  
“I left Folaigh.” Kurt responded, even though that fact was obvious, “But I didn’t know how to get to you.”   
  
“I found the flowers you wrapped around that tree. You let me know to look for you, but then… you were just here.”  
  
Kurt grinned, still holding Blaine close and Blaine could feel him quivering. “Everyday I’ve been away from you has been torture. I was hoping you’d come back to me.”  
  
“I always will.” Blaine breathed and kissed him again, he couldn’t believe this was real, that he really had Kurt that they had each other and nothing was threatening to keep them apart. He knew they still had a lot to figure out and Cooper was still back in the restaurant waiting for him, and Kurt was in a world he probably didn’t understand, and how was he going to get Kurt to New York? Did Kurt even want to go to New York? They had so much to discuss, but for now all that mattered was that he held the man he loved in his arms. 

Kurt looked in to Blaine’s eyes happily, still tearful and with his face splotchy with emotion, but there was a huge smile on his lips as his blue eyes sparkled. “Now that I have you back.” He said breathlessly, “I am never letting you go again. Never.”   
  
“Good.” Blaine laughed. “Because that was my plan exactly.”


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: Well we have come to the end of this little story and I am so happy you stuck with it and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wanted to say one last than you to mmerainbows for her continued help in editing and to H T Elia for her artwork, which I'm still positively in love with. And thank you for reading and favoriting and reviewing and telling others about this story! Enjoy the epilogue. xoxo

Kurt laid in bed unable to sleep, but unlike the weeks behind him this time it wasn't fear of nightmares that kept him awake. The dreams and images of Blaine hurt and possibly dying were far from his mind and it was his sheer happiness that kept him from drifting off. Blaine didn't seem to have the same problem.

Laying next to him, breathing deeply with lips parted and face relaxed was the man Kurt loved. Kurt smiled and rolled onto this side to curl his body in closer to Blaine's, nuzzling his face in the curve of Blaine's neck and breathing him in. A part of Kurt had doubted he'd ever really see Blaine again, he'd done everything he could to silence that dreadful little voice inside of him, but he had been so scared. And now, now Blaine was  _here_. They were both out of Folaigh and they had the freedom to spend their lives together.

Kurt smiled and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine's neck. After their unexpected reunion at the pub Kurt had asked for the rest of the evening off. Well, more like grabbed Blaine's hand and pulled him out front to tell Mr. Murphy he'd be taking some time off and then kept walking before his boss could even say anything. Not that he would have said no anyway.

Kurt had met Blaine's brother who was somehow nothing like what he expected and yet exactly right. He was tall and blue eyed, but when he smiled he could see Cooper's resemblance to Blaine. They both seemed to be naturally cheerful people and Kurt immediately liked him.

Everything had been a whirlwind after that. Dinner with Burt and Quinn, the five of them talking and catching up and getting to know each other. Kurt didn't talk that much actually, he just kept Blaine's hand in his own letting the conversation swirl around him while sharing blushes and sweet glances with Blaine. All evening he couldn't keep his heart from fluttering in his chest; how had he ended up with everything he had wanted? Kurt couldn't believe how lucky he was.

After dinner Cooper said something about him getting his own hotel room so the 'lovebirds" could have some time together. Cooper was anything but subtle and Kurt had blushed up to his ears, but he was grateful all the same. As much as he loved seeing his family with Blaine's family what he really wanted was some time with just Blaine. Blaine seemed to have the same idea because as soon as they were in the hotel room together Blaine had grabbed both of Kurt's hands and pulled him forward into a kiss.

"God I missed you." Blaine said, his lips a hot press against Kurt's skin. Kurt had wanted to say something about how he'd missed Blaine and how they were meant to be together but as Blaine's lips move down to lovingly mark Kurt's neck there was very little Kurt could do but just follow Blaine to the bed where they both tumbled down, their bodies needing to be as close to each other as possible.

They quickly undressed one another during which Kurt found his voice enough to let out breathy, "I love yous" and "I'm never leaving you." Blaine for his part was able to master speaking enough to tell Kurt that he was staying in Ireland with Kurt for as long as Kurt wanted him here. Kurt hadn't thought much about it at the time, not with Blaine's naked skin against his own and his hands on his body and his lips locking against Kurt's lips.

They had made love slow and sweet and Kurt's body was lax and warm afterwards. Blaine had drifted off to sleep and Kurt remained awake next to him, his hands touching the heat of Blaine's skin and not allowing himself to think of how cold and pale Blaine had been the last time Kurt had seen him.

He let his hand softly trail down Blaine's chest until he moved his fingers to Blaine's side and felt the rough, uneven rise of Blaine's scar. Blaine had his sheets pulled down to his waist and Kurt sat up on his side to get a look at his bullet wound. It wasn't as bad as expected, much better than Kurt would have imagined given the seriousness of Blaine's injury, still it hurt for Kurt to see it.

Not because it was ugly, not because Kurt thought it in anyway took away from Blaine's beauty, but because it was a reminder of how close Kurt had been to losing him, how close the world had come to losing Blaine Anderson and what a tragedy it would have been. Kurt drew in a broken breath and tried to clear the worries from mind. Blaine was here, and alive and well and Kurt didn't need to sink back into that dark time he'd survived without Blaine. He let his fingers trail across the wound, blue light shining from them as Kurt tried to heal the scar.

It didn't do any good; this was something Kurt couldn't heal.

"Wha' you doing?" Blaine asked sleepily his eyes blinking open.

"Sorry." Kurt whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Blaine shook his head and sat up a little. "No its okay. You looked worried though."

He reached for Kurt, pulling him in until Kurt rested his head against Blaine's chest letting out a happy sigh. "I was trying to heal your scar, but I can't."

Kurt felt rather than saw Blaine shrug underneath him.

"I don't care about the scar. Actually I've been glad to have it these past months without you."

"Why?" Kurt asked bunching up his brows in disbelief as he tipped his head up to try and look at Blaine's face.

"Because for a long time I still had your magic in me, and I could feel it the most there where I'd been shot. It wasn't the same as having you, but… it was something of you that was with me."

Kurt sat up and placed a kiss to Blaine's cheek. "Well now  _I'm_ with you." He said with a smile not liking the forlorn tone Blaine's voice had slipped into.

"Yes. You are." Blaine's eyes met Kurt's, filled with so much devotion it made Kurt shiver. "I love you." Blaine said even though he'd said it countless times this evening.

"I love you too." Kurt traced Blaine's face with his finger tips and smiled at him. "What did you mean you were going to stay in Ireland?" Kurt asked thinking back to Blaine's earlier promise.

"I want to be with you." Blaine answered simply.

"Well I want to be with you too, but don't you have school back in America?"

"I'll take the rest of the year off and hopefully enroll again next semester, or find a school here if you want to stay in Ireland."

Kurt shook his head quickly. "You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because you already offered to give up everything for me once and now you don't have too. I want to go to New York."

"Are you sure?"

Kurt smiled, his heart thudding pleasantly in his chest at Blaine's willingness to do whatever he had to do to keep them together. Blaine had made so many sacrifices for him, but he couldn't let him make another, not this, not giving up school when he was so close to finishing. "I'll find a way to America. I need a passport? And a visa? I've been looking it into it and I'm not sure how to get those things when… I don't really exist in this time, but there has to be a way. Right?"

Blaine smiled, his eyes twinkling, "I can talk to Cooper, he might have an idea… it might not be completely legal…"

Kurt laughed. "I like your brother."

"He has been here for me these past few months, and I have you to thank for that. Because of you I wanted to give him a chance."

Kurt smiled softly and then leaned down to kiss Blaine again; they broke apart both of them yawning and then laughing. Kurt settled down again next to Blaine wrapping his arms around him. "It will work out." He said tiredly, "We've been though too much to let anything stand in our way now. I'll find a way to New York."

"Mmmm." Blaine hummed, barely sounding awake. "What about Folaigh? Aren't you going to miss your home?"

"Folaigh will be back in ten years, maybe more people will choose to leave, maybe I'll come back and visit it, I'd like to see Mercedes. But Blaine I… it sounds silly, but  _you're_ my home. I'm happy if I'm with you."

"That's not silly." Blaine said sweetly and yawned, "That's how I feel about you."

A moment later Blaine's breathing deepened as he fell back to sleep. Kurt laid his head down on Blaine's chest hearing his heart beat and letting their bodies meld together as sleep finally took over. Kurt's last thought as he drifted off was how happy and how lucky he was and how his life felt like a fairytale.


End file.
